Alice in Zombieland
by Lcrazemag
Summary: Quinn, Rachel, and Santana flee a chaotic New York in an attempt to find safety. They instead run into Sam, Mike, Jesse, and baby Beth. Quinn Fabray protects her own, but how long will it be before she cracks under the pressure? TW: violence, slight gore.
1. Quinn Fabray Protects Her Own

Title: Alice in Zombieland

By: Lcrazemag

Summary: Quinn, Rachel, and Santana flee a chaotic New York in an attempt to find safety. They instead run into Sam, Mike, Jesse and baby Beth. Quinn Fabray protects her own, but how long will it be before she cracks under the pressure?

A/N: So, this is kind of my contribution to Faberry week, but I knew I wouldn't have the time to tackle each day individually. Fortunately, since I'm awesome, ambitious, and ambitiously awesome; I tried to fit the all themes into this one giant mindfuck of a one shot. I've actually been wanting a fic like this to be written for a long while with my favorite characters, so I intentionally left it somewhat open so that I could maybe build on it when I have the time- this would be like a prologue. I'm tired and its 4am so mistakes will be present, but I hope they aren't too bad. Leave me some feedback and tell me what you think. I've always frowned upon the idea of posting a WIP, but I might take a crack at it anyways. :)

* * *

Quinn was mostly regretting her decision to let them distract themselves with alcohol almost from the minute Santana popped open the stolen bottle of Grey Goose and smiled that mischievous smile. She watched her fill up the solo cups with way more vodka than was necessary for a quick buzz. They needed to be alert and have their eyes open at all times_—__Quinn just knew that responsibility would fall solely onto to her if she allowed this mini-drunk-sesh to happen__—_but she just could not rain on their one piece of normalcy and teenaged rebellion. What the fuck did it matter now anyways? The least of their worries included under-aged drinking and shoplifting these days. She thought about having a shot herself, but upon second glance at the amount of liquid sloshing around in the cups, she figured she shouldn't tempt herself. She had Beth to care for, and she wouldn't _ever _do anything that would hinder her ability to protect her. She noticed Mike smiling softly at her while she lounged with a sleeping Beth on her chest, and was happy to see he'd forgone drinking as well. She watched amusedly as Santana, Jesse, and Sam drunkenly tried to out nerd each other, arguing_—__quietly__—_over which super hero was best and why. Rachel had taken to curling up into her side with her cup hanging dangerously from her grip, which Mike reached over and grabbed before it dropped. She debated whether it would be safe to stay at this campsite tonight and let them sleep it off, and she and Mike silently agreed that he would be ready to drive the boys in Jesse's Range Rover should a problem arise. But for now, they'd stay put for a minute and rest.

They were all sitting in a Rav-4 she'd hot wired_—__hey, look at that! Grand theft auto__—_and stolen from one of the student parking lots at NYADA. She was on a trip to visit Rachel and Santana when all hell broke out as some crazy-ass student started biting and mauling another in the courtyard. As the crowd gathered to somehow help the pour soul he was... eating.. chaos suddenly broke loose and sirens were blaring and Quinn had high tailed it to the diner she had agreed to meet her girls. People were acting.._weird_, for lack of a better descriptor, but she'd made it there and saw Santana and Rachel sitting there oblivious to the pandemonium brewing just two blocks away. It seemed as if they hadn't even noticed the sirens as they giggled about God knows what and sipped their_—__no doubt, soy__—_lattes. She'd have been somewhat jealous of their increasingly amorous friendship had the moment not called for a certain urgency. She had, afterall, just semi-witnessed cannibalism, and even though she could admit that her time with the Skanks and the pink hair and the wardrobe made her feel pretty bad ass 100% of the time, she _SO _didn't know how to handle that.

She'd rushed into the diner and tried to calm herself down so she could somehow explain to them what she'd just seen and how they should be going.. somewhere.. so that they would be safe but she'd instead started panicking, which of course caused Rachel to panic and Santana to be left with the trying task of being the level-headed one. People were staring, and for once not because of her glowing pink head. Santana had managed to get her into the booth before she immediately burst into tears and started hyperventilating. That lasted all but a minute before Rachel let out a piercing scream as a bloody body hit the glass window in front of their booth and startled them. Apparently,_whatever this was _had followed her and they needed to go, _now_. She could try to wake herself up from this nightmare later but right now Rachel needed her and Santana needed her and she is Quinn _fucking _Fabray. She protects her own.

The fleeting thought of her WWII paper that was due next Monday crossed her mind as she considered how this scene resembled an all our war. When they dashed outside the diner, they'd immediately been confronted with what looked like the drama department decided to put on a very violent flash mob for shock value. That thought crossed her mind as well, until Rachel screamed again and nearly climbed on top of her as _she _witnessed a guy get his arm bitten by one of the crazies not 20 ft to their right. Immediately recognizing this as _fucking real life_, Quinn's mind flipped into _Sue-Sylvester-Apocalyptic-Survival _mode, as did Santana's, and they shared a split second glance before each grabbing one of Rachel's hands and bolting towards the dorms.

When they got there it really wasn't much better. There didn't seem to be any crazies running around attacking people but the students all seemed to have heard of or witnessed the incidents were running around like they were on fire, yelling out insane words like _"zombies" _and _"infected" _and Quinn really didn't have the wherewithal to scoff at how dramatic they were. At that thought, she chanced a glance at Rachel, who was completely pale and wide-eyed and clearly out of her element and scared. Her grip on Quinn's hand was probably cutting off circulation but Quinn was already numb to her surroundings so she could come up with a plan to get them out of this nightmare. After ascertaining that Rachel was probably too shocked at all of insanity to be of any help, she relied on Santana_—__who was lucky enough to be able to visit Rachel daily without the need for a $300 Metro pass__—_to lead them to Rachel's room and away from all the noise of the common area.

Inside Rachel's room was almost like a safe haven. The rooms were apparently sound proofed_—__which should have amused Quinn if she'd had a moment to consider that these kids all probably practiced their scales at ridiculous hours and annoyed each other just like her own little Diva__—_and offered her a chance to get through to Rachel and get her packing some things they could take with them. She had already decided that they needed to get out of there, all she needed now was the _how_. Santana informed her that the subway would be complete suicide if they get trapped by a stampede of people or a group of crazies, and Quinn agreed. Rachel then informed them that her room mate was out of town visiting family, and had left behind her Rav-4, but she had taken the keys with her. Quinn, once again, was enlightened with the thought that God must have certainly had a path for her to follow, because if it were not for her time with the Skanks, she'd never have been able to acquire this car that they so desperately needed at the moment, and she'd probably hesitate to steal it. Ha, those things were now non-issues. _Street skills for the win._

Getting through the lot was surprisingly less hard since the human traffic seemed to be mostly headed that way. Fortunately, most of the students seemed to be just trying to leave, and not really attacking anyone, so they were able to make it to the car quickly and safely. Getting inside the car, however, was difficult as hell because Rachel clung to her back like a baby chimpanzee while she was trying to get the locked cracked. She again had to call upon Santana's assistance. Santana had been vigilantly watching their surroundings while Quinn worked on the door so they wouldn't get sucker punched.. or bitten.. and hadn't noticed Rachel practically _re-compressing Quinn's spine _as she clung to her in absolute fear. Santana reached over and grabbed the terrified girl, and hissed that Quinn should hurry the fuck up. Quinn finally got the door unlocked and hit the switch for the passenger doors, and got to work on starting the car while they sat in the locked vehicle as the the world they knew became a memory. Santana held onto Rachel in the back seat while the girl seemed to be humming _"Dont Rain on My Parade_" to herself. Santana didn't know what to do but hold her tightly as she watched silent tears fall from Rachel's eyes as she continued to hum. Rachel seemingly blocked out everything with that mantra until Quinn got the car started and asked Santana where they should go. Santana faltered before Rachel whispered "My Dads" which seemed to stun the other two women. They hadn't considered that the madness could extend beyond the NYADA campus, let alone New York. With a new fear, the three girls immediately set to action as Rachel buckled herself in, Santana crawled across the center console to the front passenger seat to set the G.P.S., and Quinn burned rubber out of the parking lot towards Beth.

They were smart enough to grab food items out of Rachel and her room mate's mini fridges, and were lucky enough that her room mate had fully immersed herself in New York life and took the subway like everyone else, so they had enough snacks and gas to get them to Ohio. Quinn had even convinced Rachel to change out of her cute little plaid skirt and into something more practical, causing them once again to raid her room mate's property for survival. Rachel's room mate's style rivaled that of Tina Cohen-Chang; but luckily she owned combat boots, a dark band tee, a black jacket decorated in pink skulls, and dark jeans in Rachel's size. Quinn argued that the denim and boots would be more movable than Rachel's own skirt, peacoat, and Mary Janes. She'd be a liar, though, if she didn't admit that she also thought that the idea of Rachel matching her own dark Skankified clothing was kind of hot and territorial. She didn't have to worry about Tana though, her best friend was already prone to leather jackets and boots and happened to be wearing just that.

What they hadn't accounted for, unfortunately, was the fact that their very human bladders would be full of soy milk and need to be emptied. The sun had set three hours ago and they'd been on the road for four, and Rachel had always needed frequent trips to the ladies room. She claimed it was because she'd always been sure to drink the required eight glasses of water daily, so her body was simply regulating its flow every three hours. They simply _had _to stop soon or things were going to get super kinky. Quinn had been building her list of sexual goals with Rachel since they'd first kissed during the summer but she wasn't sure she'd _ever _want to delve into watersports, so she reluctantly pulled off the highway and into a gas station that looked relatively calm so Rachel could do her business in private. She decided that it might be a good idea to top the tank up _just in case _while they were there. She took a through glance around the area for safety, then tended the pump while Santana and Rachel went inside.

Quinn was listening to her voice mail as Rachel and Santana made their way back to the SUV. She noticed Santana had a bag of something with her, while Rachel seemed a bit less freaked out. She figured that maybe the certainty of a safe destination had managed to calm Rachel down a bit. She noticed Rachel's mood was still somewhat dark_—__which ironically matched her outfit and made it seem like she was simply getting into a gothic role__—_but who could blame her? Quinn still hadn't had a chance to let all of this sink in. Judy's chipper voice rang out into her ear, pleasantly informing her that she and Shelby were off on a single's cruise this weekend. Quinn cursed herself for missing the call earlier but what would it have really changed? She still had no idea if that meant her mother would be safe and what the fuck did it mean for Beth's whereabouts? Did they take Beth with them? What the hell was she supposed to do until they returned? Hopefully she'd find out once they got to Lima.

She'd encouraged Rachel and Santana to try and reach their parents again, but both girls had encountered calm voicemails stating that Dr. Lopez and Dr. Berry, with the company of Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Berry, had been summoned to Washington, D.C. for a medical conference. Dr. Lopez and Dr. Berry were both needed for their medical expertise, and were welcome to bring their spouses along for the trip. The messages must have been left when they were in a no service area along the road, when they'd frantically tried to contact their families only to be faced with no bars. Quinn sighed and continued on the path to Shelby's since they had no other ideas, which is where they found themselves seven hours later.

Rachel was astonished to identify Jesse's Range Rover_—__which easily stood out with its "BWBDBY" tag that he'd insisted clearly meant "Broadway Bad Boy"__—_and immediately got out to ring the door bell. Quinn called after her, jumping out to make sure she wasn't running head first into dark danger, followed by Santana. Rachel banged on the door and frantically rang the bell and called out Jesse's name. She wasn't sure what he was doing at Shelby's place, but he'd spent a few dinners there with Shelby, Quinn, Beth, and Rachel over the summer. He'd even built a tentative yet volatile friendship with Quinn, and a ridiculous comradeship with Santana. That he still visited while she was away in school was still surprising, however, and especially since Shelby was on vacation. _What the hell was he even doing there?_

That question was answered when an irritated Jesse yanked open the door and started raving about how he'd just gotten Beth to sleep, until he realized who he was yelling at. Quinn pushed past him with what seemed like superhero strength and agility to locate her baby girl and found her resting peacefully, but that didn't stop her from gently yet swiftly scooping up her love and holding her to her chest, sighing in relief. She was somewhat indignant that Shelby had deemed _Jesse St. Jackass _a suitable baby sitter for Beth, but immediately admitted that Shelby trusted Jesse, and she kind of trusted him too when he wasn't being a giant douche or flirting_—__albeit jokingly__—_with Rachel. He'd even once made her mother blush with a wildly inappropriate comment Judy seemed to enjoy and Quinn wanted introduce her boot to his face, but Jesse was internally a good guy. He seemed to be completely oblivious to any sort of threat or danger, so Quinn assumed that meant that everything would be okay for the time being. Maybe _whatever that was _they were running from would be contained in New York and the government and the CDC would handle it.

She was wrong.

Two days later they were still at Shelby's and _whatever that was _had made the news in Ohio and was causing wide spread panic. The Berry's and the Lopez's were still in D.C., and Shelby and Judy were still on their cruise-possibly sheltered from any news from the States. She couldn't get into contact with anyone but Sam Evans, who was a senior at McKinley this year, and Mike Chang, who had happened to be visiting him from college. Both their families no longer lived in Lima, but Sam was able to get an apartment and finish out his senior year at McKinley. Mike had planned to fly back out to his college on Sunday, but the airports were completely down. Both boys were now trapped in Lima away from their families, just like the girls and Jesse, and the insanity seemed to have reached the city.

_To Sam: Pack some necessities, bring Mike with you, and meet us at mine. We can't stay here anymore. __-__Q_

Quinn fucking Fabray protects her own.


	2. Wonderland

Quinn was awoken by two different sets of light snores, and sighed happily with the knowledge that at least her girls felt safe enough to rest. Beth had been soothed by listening to the vibrations in her chest as she hummed to the beat of her heart, her baby's pacifier doing its job to lull her to sleep. Rachel was generally harder to calm, since the girl was practically always worried about Quinn, about Beth, and their friends, and her Dads, and Shelby. Rachel never mentioned it but Quinn knew Rachel also lamented her future which simply added to her seemingly perpetual melancholy. The girl was just naturally organized and in control, and the situation they had been thrust into simply ripped all of her plans and ideas from underneath her, leaving her lost. Quinn worried about Rachel as well, but they just didn't have time to _worry_. As long as Rachel was safe, everything else could wait.

Quinn glanced over to Santana and noticed her sprawled across Jesse. The Rav-4 was a small, _maybe_ _if you squint_ mid-sized SUV at best, and they had let down the back seats and crammed into the cargo space for comfort. But even with extra room Quinn wouldn't doubt that Santana would find her way over to Jesse. They had the oddest friendship she'd ever witnessed. They started out insulting each other but over time the insults became more affectionate and borderline flirtatious. Quinn wouldn't touch _that_ thought with a 99.5 foot pole. She was grateful that Jesse was able to distract Santana. They had built somewhat of a buddy system. There were six of them, plus Beth, and Quinn had fallen into leadership, naturally. Quinn had thought Jesse would step up—_him being the eldest of the group__—_but he seemed comfortable letting her make the important decisions and taking orders.

Santana had always been Quinn's second-in-command, and she seemed to comfortably fall back into position when Quinn proved herself able to protect them. Santana had also fallen back into seeking comfort in Quinn, a habit that hadn't died out with their authoritative relationship sophomore year. The situation had brought back Santana's co-dependent tendencies, which Quinn worried would cause problems between her current girlfriend and her best friend. She couldn't very well reject Santana_—__she knew she was just afraid__—_but she wasn't sure how to handle her. She would always love her, even though they didn't last romantically—_they fought constantly and were both too passionate and emotionally stunted to work it out at the time__—_and she would always look out for her. But Jesse was absorbing some of that co-dependency and constant need for affection, and for that Quinn was immensely grateful.

Quinn was also super grateful for Mike. They'd been traveling for almost three weeks now, simply trying to avoid areas with large populations_—__that's where the crazies were__—_and Mike's knowledge of nature was proving to be a life saver. They spent most of their time on various camp grounds, and had acquired some outdoors equipment like fishing rods, crossbows, cooking equipment and an impressive first aid kit. Mike was a natural outdoors-man, and his intelligence made him a fast learner and able to adapt to their situation and advise Quinn when necessary. At first, she'd felt guilty about being grateful he'd been stuck with them while she was sure he wished to be with Tina and his family—_she had been the main reason for his visit to Lima__—_but she knew they wouldn't be able to survive without him. He fed them with his fishing and hunting skills, even providing wild salads for Rachel when possible, and he was invaluable to their team. With Sam as his partner, Quinn wasn't worried when they left her sight, she knew they'd take care of each other.

Sam had managed to read all of _"The Walking Dead_" comics and was the first of them to acknowledge that the crazies behaved suspiciously like zombies. Quinn couldn't claim that she hadn't thought the same. When she and Sam were still dating, they watched the show together. At first she wasn't very interested in it, but she just could not ignore how awful a mother Lori was and found herself wishing Carl would just stay in the goddamn house for once. Their situation strongly resembled the one depicted on the show, although they'd luckily managed to avoid any large hordes. Staying away from the bigger cities had actually been Sam's call. Quinn couldn't believe that Sam's love of comic books may have actually saved their lives. Her first thought would have been to head into towns to find help, which she supposes in hindsight would have actually lead them to danger. So yeah, thank God for Sam.

Quinn's back was aching to be stretched, but her girls were still using her as a mattress. It was early morning and they'd need to get up soon. Santana and Jesse needed to get a load of laundry done, while Sam and Mike procured food for the day for Quinn and Rachel to prepare while keeping an eye on Beth. She was relatively calm for a two year old—she liked to hear Rachel sing and Quinn gave her as much attention as possible, and she was able to communicate relatively well for a baby with minimal crying to get her wishes met. She'd thrown tantrums like any other baby of course, but was easily soothed with a song and her pacifier. It was almost as if she could sense that Quinn and Rachel were doing their best, and in turn kept her demands reasonable. They'd managed to pick up essentials for her such as pull ups, toys, and a ridiculously large supply of powdered formula which was stocked in Jesse's cargo hold. They'd raid for it whenever they crossed a small town. Quinn was afraid that Beth wouldn't get enough nutrients from the solids she could eat, and they'd stocked up on pureed fruits and veggies to aid her formula. Jesse's truck was basically acting as their supply vehicle, while the Rav-4 held their duffel bags of personal belongings they'd managed to bring along.

It somewhat felt like an extended camping trip, if not for the fact that they all carried hand guns and were constantly on alert. So far they'd had their ears trained on the solar powered emergency radio for any news on the state of society, but it got increasingly bleak so they used it mostly for entertainment_—__at low volumes__—_which does wonders for their moods. It acted as speakers for Jesse's mp3 player, which he fortunately kept in his glove compartment. Rachel had grabbed it on a supply run into an outdoor sporting goods store, along with a few low wattage solar generators and lanterns. Quinn wasn't even aware this technology existed, and Rachel beamed at the recognition that she'd had an idea that was beneficial to the group. She'd been feeling like a burden lately with the depression she was suffering, and was trying to improve even though Quinn and the others had been loving and understanding. She focused most of her attention on Quinn and Beth, and tried not to make a bad situation worse by being dead weight. She'd become good at foraging for edible vegetation with Mike, and even assisted Quinn in preparing meat for the others to eat. She even helped Quinn manage their supplies and create time tables for their supply runs, and she felt good that she had a place in the team that wasn't just "Quinn's girlfriend".

Quinn felt when Rachel's hand shifted under her shirt to feel her warm skin. She wondered what they would do when the colder months started rolling in, and made a mental note to add space blankets to their next run. She turned her head and was immediately met with cautious brown eyes and a tentative smile. Beth stirred slightly, causing Rachel to quietly coo at her. Quinn smiled, conflicted at the circumstances that brought the baby girl back to her, but thoroughly delighted by her girlfriend's interaction with her.

"Good morning baby," she whispered to Rachel.

"Good morning," Rachel responded quietly. She then noticed their cramped position and gasped, "Oh my goodness Quinn, that cant be comfortable for your back.."

Quinn fought the urge to roll her eyes at Rachel. She and Beth had been sleeping on Quinn every night since they got to Shelby's. "It's fine Rachel, I'll get some light yoga in before we shower and it'll be okay."

That's another thing they'd fallen into out of necessity but Quinn couldn't pretend not to enjoy. They did everything together now, each duo relied on each other as an extra set of eyes. Even Jesse and Santana had gotten accustomed to showering and bathroom breaks together. The camp ground facilities usually offered a modicum of privacy through stalls and curtains, but no one was to be unaccompanied at any time.

"Okay," Rachel smiled, "but at least let me give you a back rub after breakfast. Other than laundry we are quite caught up on chores, so we may be able to relax and enjoy today for the most part. You might even have a chance to take Beth down to the lake and let her play in the water a bit"

"That sounds great." Quinn smiled before placing a soft kiss on Rachel's lips. Rachel sighed before checking outside the windows, cocking her handgun and checking the rounds, and stepping out of the SUV through the cargo door. Quinn could see her clearly through the window, and Rachel knew not to go to far without her, but she still felt uncomfortable with the distance so she curled up a blanket for Beth to lay on and followed her outside.

After making sure the area was secure, they started setting up for breakfast preparation. The solar generator made it possible for food to be cooked on a portable stove-top and filtered water bottles and a hot water pot made it possible for them to have clean water to cook with. They woke the boys and Santana before heading down the path to the lake to get water they needed to prepare oatmeal. Their breakfasts usually consisted of various cereals, granola bars, coffee and occasionally dried fruits. Fresh fruit was hard to come by since most of the stores they raided were small and abandoned. Some stores had a few left overs that were edible, but they knew that wouldn't last for long and canned goods would be the best they could do in that department. Rachel also thought it wise for everyone to start a vitamin regimen.

"Breakfast ready yet Q? I'm starving and mini Q here would like some grub as well" said Santana, appearing with a yawning Beth on her hip.

"Yeah, we got oatmeal and some dried strawberries you can put in it. And I'll get some coffee going in a moment. Sit." Quinn replied.

"Good girl" Jesse snarked as Santana obeyed and sat at the picnic table. She stuck out her foot and the girls_—__including Beth__—_giggled at his almost face-plant. He took a seat next to Santana— _leaving almost no space between them__—_and Quinn an eyebrow at their interaction before turning her attention to Rachel, as she handed Quinn the prepared bowls.

"Hey guys," Sam and Mike strolled over to join the group. They all ate together every morning, afternoon, and evening. It was comforting and gave them security as a makeshift family, and Quinn used breakfast time to talk about plans and issues concerning the group. Quinn set their bowls in front of them along with two mugs of coffee, as Rachel followed with three bowls, two coffees, and a bottle of formula.

"So listen up, its nice out for an October day, so Rachel and I figured that we could all join Mike and Sam at the lake and introduce Beth to a little swimming. You guys can fish, and Rachel and I will help Jesse and Santana with the laundry while Beth splashes around a bit. It'll give her a chance to relax and be a normal baby for a while" Quinn said, leaning over to plant a kiss on Beth's head. Beth squealed at the attention.

"Excellent," Jesse replied. "I absolutely hate doing the laundry so if you're offering to assist I surely won't turn you down."

Quinn did roll her eyes at that with a small smile in the boy's direction before Beth commanded the attention of the group by smashing her hand in her oatmeal in her approval. The group laughed at her antics and Rachel grabbed a towel to wipe off her hands with.

"Okay well, Beth clearly agrees with this plan so lets get this stuff put away and we can head down to the water." Quinn stated. Sam and Mike grabbed the rods while Rachel and Quinn grabbed the tub of dishes, and Santana and Jesse carried the laundry load, and they all headed down the path with an excited Beth.

— AiZ—

The lake was calm and the water was warm, Mike and Sam were out up to their chests with their rods against the current fishing. Quinn figured it might be a good investment for them to find a canoe for fishing, since the guys were limited in what they could catch that way. The list of things that they needed was steadily growing each day, and Quinn knew that they'd have to make yet another dangerous trip into town soon. She looked down at Rachel who was sitting in shallow water beside her with Beth standing in her lap, splashing the warm water around her. Quinn smiled and took another survey of their surroundings, and wished that it wasn't a necessary habit.

"Jesse, what the fuck?" Santana hissed. Jesse's snickering was heard soon after. Quinn and Rachel looked into their direction and witnessed Santana throwing a pair of boxer briefs at Jesse's face. "You disgusting pig!"

"Santana, how do you even know they're mine? Quite frankly I'm offended by the accusation." Jesse smirked, he narrowly missed being punched.

"Because only douchebags wear $80 briefs, and only a douchebag like you would find the time these days to jizz in them" Santana agitatedly stated. Jesse only snorted.

"I know for a fact that you, Ms. Lopez, are wearing the latest from Victoria Secret's fall line this very moment. So if I'm a douchebag, what does that make—"

He didn't finish the comment before Santana tackled him into the water. Quinn's eyes widened at the exchange, as did Rachel's and even Beth's, but the baby recovered quickly and giggled cutely at the entertaining pair.

Soon it was time for lunch, and the group headed back to their small base. Mike and Sam had made a small catch before Santana and Jesse disturbed the fish, so it looked like fish and rice for dinner. Beth was all played out, tiredly resting her head on Rachel's shoulder as they made their way back. The baby had a wonderful time in the water, and Quinn and Rachel and the rest of the group delighted in watching her enjoy herself.

"She's so wonderful Quinn" Rachel whispered. Quinn shot her an easy smile and tightened her grip on their dish box. It was rattling the contents and she feared the noise would stir the sleeping baby.

"I just wish she didn't have to live like this" She sighed. If there was one thing she always wanted to give Beth, it was a chance at a good life. This certainly wasn't what she wanted for her daughter. This was a never-ending nightmare that she couldn't have even imagined her daughter would face.

"I know Quinn. I think... given the circumstances, she's still a happy baby. You've given her security and love." Rachel replied.

"She deserves better," Quinn argued. "You both do."

When they reached their camp everyone set about their chores for the afternoon. Rachel placed Beth in the Rav-4 for her afternoon nap, while Quinn set to cleaning the fish for dinner. Mike and Sam took a small break and played cards and listened to some music, while keeping open eyes around their camp. Rachel once again went over inventory and updated their list with things Quinn told her they needed and things they were running low on. She was lounging in the cargo bay of the Rav-4 beside Beth with the hatch up, her feet swinging back and forth as she hunched over the notebooks. Santana and Jesse were hanging laundry to dry on a clothes line they fashioned between two trees.

"This is so strange." Mike commented, "I mean, I'm caught between feeling like this is a lazy day and I can relax, and knowing that I can't really let my guard down. Its like we've built a false sense of security here, because—and let's face it—we've been relatively lucky up here. We left Lima before it got really bad. But we've sort of isolated ourselves and its like.. we're in the dark out here. No one sees us but we cant see them either."

The group quieted and reflected on his words.

"What are you saying Mike?" Quinn asked.

"Its just, I don't know. How long can we stay here? I wouldn't suggest we leave because we are... as safe as we can be, but.. we don't know what's going on out there Quinn. We need to know." He finished.

"I agree," Rachel added. "We are technically in the dark so we don't know if the situation has improved or gotten worse."

Quinn could hear what they weren't saying, and so could the rest of the group. They wanted to know if things were getting better. If it was safe to go home to their families. When they'd left Lima, they'd been all each other had and while they were grateful for each other, they obviously wondered about their families. Quinn knew they did. She wanted to as well, but couldn't bring herself to. She was focused on the now, what they were faced with at the moment. But now that this was brought up, she allowed herself to think of home.

She even thought of Russel. God, wouldn't she feel so much safer if her Daddy were with them. He'd know exactly what to do, and he'd be so confident in his decisions that Quinn would have no choice but to trust he'd keep them safe. She'd get a ton more sleep knowing he was watching over her. But he wasn't here. In fact, he hadn't been there since she was 16. That didn't mean she didn't miss him sometimes though.

"Okay. Okay I get it. What do we do then, hmm?" Quinn started. "I can't chance it with Beth. I need to know that she's safe at all times, and I cant guarantee that walking into an unknown. So what? Do you guys want to send a team into town to see what's happening or..? Because I honestly think that if there were any changes we'd hear about'em on this goddamn radio we've been using for everything else but what we should." She felt herself getting worked up and looked to the sky to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry. I don't think its a good idea. I... we all have people out there we love and miss. I get it. Trust me.. I.. I get it. But I can't, we cant risk it unless its absolutely necessary. We have a supply run coming up next week; okay? We can pick a slightly larger town to investigate. But we can't... Lima isn't an option, okay?"

Quinn lowered her head because she couldn't bare the disappointment she was sure would be in their faces. She'd essentially told them to forget about their families for a little while longer. She stared down into her plate, waiting for an objection, when none came.

"I agree bro," Sam said quietly. "I.. I miss my family and my girl too," at this Mike turned his head contritely, "but we just don't know where they are or how to find them. Its not safe to search at this point."

Mike let out a shaky breath, then turned a smile smile towards the group. "O-okay. You're right, I.. I don't know what I was thinking..."

"No, we get it." Jesse added. "You know, I've never been particularly close with my parents. All they required was that I be great enough in the arts for them to brag to their cultured friends about. But I still miss them and wish I could contact them. I sometimes stare at my Blackberry as if I could make service bars appear by sheer power of will. So far I've been unsuccessful."

The group chuckled at Jesse's dramatics. They finished dinner and spent the rest of the evening around the radio with a deck of cards. By nightfall, the guys had relocated to the Range Rover so they could sleep more comfortably while the girls retired to the Rav-4 with Beth. They curled up in the cargo bay on top of blankets, and Quinn was in her usual position as pillow, with Santana on her left, Rachel on her right, and Beth snuggled up on her chest as she hummed her to sleep.

She spent most of the night wondering about Judy and Shelby... and Russel.

* * *

A/N: I wanted to have this whole thing up by Sunday but I ran into formatting issues. I wrote this whole thing on my Kindle in Office Pro, and for some reason you can't upload docs from a Kindle to ff dot net. Soo, I had to move it to my laptop which unfortunately_ doesn't _have Office at all. So please be patient with me, the fic is done and I'm already working on the sequel, titled_ Alice Practice_.

Leave me a review? :)?


	3. White Rabbits

Quinn was startled awake by sounds of soft crying. She gently sat up as best she could and looked down at her baby girl.

"Hey.. what's wrong baby?" She cooed. "Shh.. its okay. Shh..."

"Mama." Beth sobbed. "Want Mama. Quinn.. want Mama." Quinn noticed that Beth seemed really distraught and tired. And she had a runny nose.

"Oh, I know baby. Shh... I know you miss Mama. But I've been looking after you pretty good, yeah?" Quinn tried. She didn't really know how to explain their situation to her two year old.

"Don't feel good." Beth hiccuped. She rubbed her little balled up fist across her eyes. Quinn melted. "Mama..."

Quinn reached around for Beth's bottle of apple juice she prepared for her at night. Beth felt kind of warm, so Quinn rubbed her back and put her cheek on her forehead to gauge her temperature. She had a small fever. Maybe swimming wasn't the best idea, and Quinn cursed herself for not considering this outcome. Quinn nudged Rachel awake so she could grab Beth's baby bag.

"Mmf.. what's wrong?" Rachel murmured, looking around for a source of danger. Santana stirred as well.

"Nothing serious, Rachel, I just need Beth's baby bag." Quinn said. Rachel leaned over and grabbed the bag, unzipping it and waiting patiently. "Um, I need a face wipe and her baby Nyquil." Rachel grabbed the items and handed them to Quinn. She sat the bag aside and sat up to get a better look at an unhappy Beth.

"Oh honey.." Rachel sighed. She brought a hand up and felt her warm forehead. Beth sniffled at the attention.

"Hey mini Q. What's the matter?" Santana asked the toddler. She reached down and grabbed the pacifier that had fallen during Beth's cries, and wiped it with one of the face wipes.

"Don't feel good." Beth said softly. Her eyes shiny with tears and exhaustion.

"Well, Quinn's gonna make you all better." Santana smiled, wiping away Beth's tears with her thumb. "Right Q?"

"That's right," Quinn smiled at her daughter, thankful for Santana's encouragement. Beth seemed to be calming and staring at them with the most trusting eyes. Quinn vowed to the end of the end to make her _all better._ She fixed a dose of the medicine and dried Beth's face with a face wipe. "Open up, Sweetie."

Beth opened her mouth to accept the syringe of medicine. It tasted weird, but Quinn promised to make it better. And Beth trusted her. She accepted a few sips of juice to chase the medicine and then allowed Santana to replace her pacifier before replacing her head on Quinn's chest. After a few minutes her breathing evened out again, and she was asleep.

—AiZ—

_Quinn was dozing off in the grass beside Rachel. It was a nice warm day, and they were relaxing under a large tree in the expansive backyard of the Fabray manor. Rachel was listening to some music and singing softly to herself, while Quinn loosely skimmed through one of her her favorite books. It was high noon and sunny, but not too hot. It felt nice to just sit with Rachel like this on days like these. She looked over at her girlfriend, and when Rachel caught her eye, they smiled._

_Suddenly something else caught Quinn's attention. It was small and white, and crawling across the yard. Immediately Quinn knew who it was. "Beth?" She questioned, and quickly got to her feet to follow the toddler. She was wearing a cute little white sun dress, with adorable white sandals and her golden blond hair was tied back by two green ribbons. Beth seemed to have her heard name, and in response turned her head to smile at Quinn, but she didn't stop her trek towards her destination. Quinn noticed she was headed dangerously towards what looked like a cavern created by visible surface roots of a large tree. "Beth! Beth no!" Quinn yelled as she ran quickly after her daughter, as the baby went down inside the hole. "Fuck!" She yelled. "Rachel get Mom!" But Rachel hadn't followed. Quinn wasted no time sliding into the hole after her daughter._

—AiZ—

Quinn sat up abruptly gasping and frantically looking around at her surroundings. The movement stirred both Santana and Rachel, but Santana simply curled up and turned over, murmuring about breadsticks. Quinn felt like her heart was beating out of her chest and her brow was wet with sweat. She was holding a sleeping Beth tightly to her chest as the baby sighed in her sleep and chewed on her pacifier. Quinn tried desperately to regulate her breathing and heart rate.

"Are you okay baby? It was just a bad dream.." Rachel whispered. She reached up and pushed Quinn's loose bangs out of her face.

"I'm fine" Quinn muttered. The dream was quickly fading but reality was filtering in, and it really wasn't much better. "What time is it?" Quinn asked as she settled back down in her spot.

Rachel glanced at the glow of her Ranger's watch they'd snagged at the outdoor sports store. "It's a little after 3am. Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. Quinn knew she was concerned, but she really couldn't talk about anything at the moment. She couldn't grasp onto a thought long enough to process it.

"No. I'm okay" she replied, leaning over to give Rachel a reassuring peck on the lips. "Go back to sleep. I'm sorry I startled you."

Unsure of what else to do, Rachel cuddled up to Quinn again to do as asked. Their relationship was still in its early stages, but she'd known Quinn most of her life. It was impossible to coerce her into talking if she wasn't ready, and pushing too hard yielded unwanted results. So she placed a calming kiss on Quinn's cheek, and closed her eyes.

—AiZ—

Later that evening, the guys were playing frisbee while the girls—_and Beth—_were sitting around singing songs. Quinn was strumming on Sam's guitar, while Santana laid back with a giggling Beth sitting on her stomach, and Rachel made faces and sang to the baby. Beth was delighted to hear Rachel's singing and Quinn's soft strumming, while Santana tickled her belly.

"I've been thinking Q, and I say we head North. You know, Canada. I know this is technically a medical phenomenon but there's no way those things can survive a winter there." Santana said. She blew a raspberry on Beth's tummy and the baby squealed with joy. Quinn smiled.

"I'd have to agree with Tana, Quinn." Rachel mused. "I mean, we'd of course have to find somewhere warm before winter hits—its already October, mind you—and I honestly can't think of any place safe to go. It may be a fair assumption that if we suffer physically during the cold that a... _corpse..._ would certainly fail to survive under such conditions."

"Also, I might know a place where we can stay," Santana added. "It's a cabin that Mami and Papi liked to visit on their anniversary. We could go there. I don't know exactly where it is but I'm sure we could find it. Its in an area called Algonquin Woods."

Quinn really couldn't see an issue with that idea. It _was_ going to get cold really soon and camping just wasn't going to cut it, especially not with Beth. She glanced quickly towards her baby girl and noticed that her nose was runny. She used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe Beth's nose clean. They couldn't stay outdoors forever.

"Okay" she sighed. "We'll talk to the guys to see what they think at breakfast tomorrow. Let's just consider it as our first option for now."

The girls agreed and Beth yawned. The sun would be going down and soon, the guys wouldn't be able to see their frisbee. Quinn stood and scooped up Beth and headed toward the Rav-4 to get her some more medicine with the hope that it would help her sleep off the cold she'd picked up.

—AiZ—

"Take off your shirt, baby" Quinn whispered. Rachel was straddling her in the back seat of the Rav-4, while Beth slept soundly on blankets in the cargo hold with aid of some more Nyquil, Jesse's ipod—_which was set to his ballads playlist—_and her pacifier. They rarely got moments alone these days, so as soon as Santana mentioned she wanted to bunk with Jesse for the night, and Quinn got Beth to sleep after some discerning coughs, they took the opportunity to cuddle and talk quietly in the privacy of the car.

Rachel giggled softly and threaded her arms through the long sleeves as she looked down into Quinn's adoring eyes. She gasped as she felt Quinn's cool hands on the bare skin of her torso, trekking upwards.

"You know, I never thought I'd get to be with you" Quinn murmured as she moved her hands to gently cup and knead Rachel's chest. "When I lived with Mercedes, we'd talk about.. you know.. guys, and I'd pretend that I wanted to make it work with Puck because.. that's what every one expected right?" She leaned up to kiss Rachel's neck and nibble on her collar bone. "But I know Cedes didn't buy it. I guess she figured that if I wanted him I wouldn't have jumped at the offer to move out." She continued, sliding her hands down to aid Rachel by gripping her hips while she rocked against her. "What really drove me mad was that when you'd sing those sappy love songs to _Finn," _she punctuated her distaste over the boy by thrusting her hips up into Rachel roughly. Rachel moaned. "I'd lay in my room at the Jones residence and wonder why a girl like you, who's so _talented _and _beautiful_, would ever waste time with a flat tire like _Finn. _And why did that bother me _so-fucking-much_"

Rachel was panting loudly into the night and didn't anticipate Quinn flipping their positions so that Rachel was on her back while Quinn settled between her legs. She whimpered when she felt Quinn resume grinding in this position.

"Then, Jesse entered the picture. I was sure I'd lost you then." Quinn murmured into Rachel's neck. "He seemed perfect for you. I couldn't believe there was this guy who you completely bonded with on every level. I'd just come to terms with my feelings for you, and I thought 'Wow, I'll never be able to compete with _him'" _Quinn sucked on Rachel pulse point."I at least thought that _he _had the potential to be good for you, since you were both ambitious and talented. So, so _talented, _baby"

Rachel felt Quinn releasing the button on her jeans. She lifted her hips so Quinn could reach inside, and groaned when she felt Quinn fingers press against the damp fabric of her panties.

"I knew you were destined for greatness, Rachel." Quinn rubbed.

Rachel squirmed, reaching back to brace her hands on the door.

"Now I'm with you." Quinn pushed. "And I love you so much." Quinn squeezed. "And I wish I could give you everything you deserve. You deserve much more than this Rachel. I want to make you happy, I want to fix this, but I _can't_." Quinn whispered.

It was the most emotion Quinn had shown since that evening at the diner back at NYADA. Rachel couldn't even focus on that because _Quinn was busy touching her for the first time_. She gulped audibly and tried to grab hold of her thoughts, against Quinn's insistent probing. "W-wait.. Quinn, baby..." she moaned "S-stop for just a—"

They both froze. Rachel had been interrupted by what sounded like gun shots. A few seconds passed before they heard it again.

"Fuck!" Quinn whispered, scrambling off Rachel and immediately shifting into action. Rachel realized that the conversation that needed to be had, had once again evaded them. "Rachel, grab Beth and get into the passenger seat." Quinn ordered before stepping out of the Rav-4. She rounded the Range Rover and knocked on the windows to wake the group. Sam, who'd slept reclined in the drivers seat, rolled down the window.

"Guys, we need to go, _now. _Someone is shooting. Follow me out and keep the lights off." She demanded shortly. They sprung into action and Sam started the vehicle, waiting for Quinn's lead.

Quinn got back into the Rav-4 and started the engine. The shots had been brief but they had no idea the circumstances nor which direction which they came. But they knew that no one in their right mind would be _wasting _rounds. There was a reason shots were fired, and any hostility—_be it from _them _or rogue survivors—_was bad.

They set slowly and quietly on the exit road to avoid arousing any attention in their direction. Rachel was holding a still sleeping Beth tightly as she watched Quinn. The Rav-4 pushed ahead, and Quinn squinted in the low moonlight to make sure they stayed on the road, the Range Rover right on their tail. They heard the shots fire again, and every one of them was absolutely terrified.

When they hit the main road, Quinn immediately pointed North. They didn't have a chance to discuss their options but she figured they could stop somewhere far away from their current position. She glanced over into Rachel's concerned and frightened gaze and sighed. she mentally noted that they really needed to find a carseat for Beth on their next run, which would probably be sooner rather than later. But then, Quinn found herself wondering if it would be a dangerous decision to trap her daughter in a seat should they ever need to escape quickly. Quinn realized she didn't know what was best for Beth at the moment, and the thought made her long for Shelby. That's why she'd trusted her to raise her daughter in the first place. Quinn bit her lip and fought back her tears. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel as she wished that Shelby could be here for Beth, because surely she'd know what to do. She allowed a single tear to escape as she again thought that Russel would too.

—AiZ—

They'd been driving for close to an hour now, and Rachel watched Quinn grow more and more distressed. She wished disperately that she could get inside Quinn's mind and ease her fears somewhat. They were all afraid, but Quinn was the only one who was fighting so valiantly against it. Rachel knew that when her girlfriend got trapped inside her own mind, the backlash was usually devastating. She couldn't just sit there and watch it.

"Quinn, sweetheart, pull over." Rachel spoke firmly.

Quinn shook her head, not even sparing a glance in Rachel's direction.

"I mean it, Quinn. Pull over."

"No." Quinn growled. She checked the rear-view to make sure the Rover was still behind them and sped up.

"Quinn, _goddamn it,_ pull over!" Rachel yelled, causing Beth to stir. Rachel rocked her slightly but kept her eyes on Quinn, who tightened her jaw and slowed down onto the road shoulder.

Quinn put the car in park and Rachel surveyed her surroundings before opening the door and stepping out. She walked around to the drivers side and with one arm tight around Beth, pulled the door open. Quinn was staring ahead and breathing roughly through her nose. Rachel ducked down and settled herself onto Quinn's lap, and tangled her free hand in Quinn's hair, pulling her head against her. Beth was awakened by all the movement, but was resting her head on Rachel's other shoulder, watching them drowsily while the music played in her ears.

"I love you too Quinn," Rachel whispered. They both acknowledged that it was the first time they'd exchanged I love you's. "I wish the world was better for you too. And Beth. We all deserve better, especially her." She placed a kiss on Beth's head. "I can't fix it either, but I won't stop trying for you. I love you."

"I have to keep you both safe." Quinn whimpered into Rachel's neck. "I love you both so much. I cant lose you. I'll die.."

"Shhh.." Rachel whispered. "I know, baby. We're together in this okay? We don't have the answers but we are together. Our group looks out for each other and we're gonna figure it out, okay?"

Quinn just buried her nose further into Rachel's hair and shrugged. Beth started to squirm and reached out to grab Quinn's hair in a show of support. The action caused Quinn to giggle and she shifted, prompting Rachel to get up and get back into her own seat on the passengers side. They noticed Santana standing outside the Rover with her hand on her weapon, eyes alert. When she saw them get back into their seats, she made her way to Quinn's window.

"We need walkies." She stated seriously.

"We need a lot of things," Quinn retorted. "Listen, tell the guys to keep following. We're gonna head North until we need gas, then we'll fill up and find a campsite. Come back though cause we need you to hold Beth in the back while Rachel navigates."

Santana nodded and went to relay the message. When she returned, Rachel passed her the baby and they all strapped in, Beth under the waist Belt in Santana's lap. She held onto her as they set off, hopefully to a quiet and relatively safe rest stop.

* * *

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll let you sit on the questions a while though, but they will be answered! This fic is complete and is 8 chapters long, and I'm working on the sequel still. I'm glad some of you like St. Lopez, haha. Anywho I am participating in FaPezBerry week, and will be posting a fic for that today as well! :)


	4. We're All Mad Here

Rachel turned her head to look back at Quinn and Beth. Beth was sitting in Quinn's lap, looking out the window and enjoying a bottle of formula. Quinn, however, was sleeping off a migraine. Her forehead looked damp and her features were scrunched as she slept. Rachel wondered if she should take Beth so that Quinn could lay more comfortably, but then again she knew having the toddler close helped her girlfriend relax much easier.

Santana had taken the wheel when they got to a rest area. Quinn had been fighting a headache, so Santana had offered to take over. They were headed North on I-75 after determining exactly where they were going. During a quick breakfast, the group had agreed that Emsdale, Canada was as good a plan as any, and since they didn't have any others they decided to give it a shot. The trip would take them roughly 8 hrs, and there was the unknown of whether the border would be open.. but it was worth a shot.

Santana's information regarding Algonquin Woods was sparse, but luckily the Rav-4's high tech GPS system could at least get them there. The cabin was a privately owned vacation home, jointly owned by her parents and some close friends. She knew it would be available and since it was in a remote and secluded area of the woods it had a well water system and solar electricity grid. The place was an absolute Godsend. If they could just get there safely their only concerns would be to find a steady food supply and secure the home against invasion. They'd finally feel safe.

They'd been lucky thus far that their encounters with the infected were few and far in between. After Lima was hit with the epidemic, they'd left before all hell broke loose. The attacks were contained incidents, but Quinn no longer felt safe and thought it was best if the group could get away and lie low for a while. They'd all been waiting for contact from their parents, but there hadn't been any cellular service for days. They simply had no connection to the outside world other than articles on the Internet, and after Wi-Fi became unavailable they were in the dark. People were afraid, people were being attacked, and people were leaving. They voted on it and decided that hitting a state park might be a good idea for the time being. Van Buren seemed far enough away from the chaos.

They still didn't know where those shots had come from. Honestly, it wasn't important. They knew that either a group of people or those things were bringing hostility to the area and that it was time to go. They'd gotten away with running thus far, and hadn't had to kill anyone, or _anything_, except small wildlife and fish for food. Mike and Sam were extremely useful to their team in that regard. Santana thought that they were extremely lucky for all of them to have found each other. Because where she and Quinn were tactical, Mike and Sam were resourceful, Rachel was organizational, and Jesse was... practical. He kept them optimistic and strong. He may not have been able to lead them, but he certainly brought a sense of team, optimism, and comfort to the group.

Santana certainly was thankful for his presence. They'd formed a close friendship over the summer, and Santana wasn't stupid or blind, she knew that she was confident and sexy and smart and everything Jesse loved about Rachel. She knew he had a crush on her, and although they both knew that her love for him was strictly platonic, they'd come to rely on each other for comfort. No one wanted to be alone at a time like this, and why should _they _have to be? Jesse was kind and smart, he made her feel secure by his presence alone, and she was sure to be delicate with his feelings so she wouldn't hurt him. So if he wanted to hold her hand, hold her close to his chest while they slept, or be there to reassure her that everything would be okay.. why would she deny him that? Why would she deny herself? She sighed as she checked to rearview mirror to make sure the Rover was still behind them.

—AiZ—

_Quinn was lost. She'd been following Beth and trying to catch up with her for a while now, but her kid apparently had super powers or something. She'd be there one minute going around a corner or into a door and.. Quinn wondered how she was even able to open doors being two feet tall. She didn't remember how they even got to this.. office building? She was passing cubicles and workers who were dressed up in suits and ties. They all looked exactly the same to her.. like the cardboard cut out of the man she was supposed to marry, the man she would have married had she followed her fathe—_

"_This is unacceptable! You tell that bastard those accounts are his responsibility! And shoulder he fail to do his job he wont have one for long!"_

_Quinn knew that thunderous yell anywhere. His roar had always been like a lion's when he became upset. She watched as a young secretary backed out of his office and she suddenly knew why she was here. She was supposed to talk to him.. or something. Maybe he knew where Beth went. Quinn shivered at the thought of asking him, but really.. what else was she supposed to do?_

_She caught the heavy wooden door before it shut, and tentatively smoothed down her dress before entering the office. His luxury leather office chair was turned away from her, but she could see his outstretched hand holding a glass of Scotch, and the smoke trail floating superiorly from his no doubt expensive Cuban cigar. She waited patiently and politely for him to notice her. She wouldn't dare speak without being addressed first. They both knew he knew she was there and would address her when he was ready._

_"Who are you?" He questioned condescendingly, the smoke from his cigar irritating her sensitive lungs. He didn't bother to face her._

_Quinn wasn't stupid. She knew he was fully aware of who she was, and so she attempted to read between the lines and answer the question that he was really asking. _

_"I'm.. I'm not sure anymore Daddy. I've been so many people. I was your baby girl, I was head cheerleader.. then I screwed up and I was an outcast, homeless, and a pregnant teen. Then I was lost, a rebel. Most recently I'm a leader... a mother..." Quinn trailed off._

_"What do you mean 'a mother'? Explain yourself!" He sneered._

_"I.. I can't explain myself, Sir. So much has happened. Its surreal and overwhelming." Quinn whispered._

_"It's not."_

_Quinn stood stunned by his dismissal. She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head. "I've.. been through a lot. It is to me!" She growled shortly._

_"You! Who are you?" Russel laughed. Quinn seethed._

_"Me? Who the hell are you, huh? Where the hell are you? You left! You disowned me and abandoned me! I needed you! I needed my Daddy!" Quinn yelled. Her vision was blurred with tears but her glare was trained on his Blond head. His hair was perfectly trimmed as always, not a hair out of place. He was unfazed by her outburst and his relaxed posture showed it._

_"Why?" He responded. Quinn was furious. She could feel her fingernails digging into her palms with how tight her fists were clenched. Fuck this, she didnt need this. She turned on her heel and stormed over to the wooden door. She grabbed the handle before his thunderous voice stopped her in her tracks._

_"Get back here Lucille," he roared. "I'm not done talking to you."_

_Quinn had always been frightened by the fact that his voice was so powerful. It made him seem so much bigger than he was. His ability to harbor such a commanding presence always had her obeying his orders, regardless of whether or not she wanted to. She turned around and walked back over to his desk. He hadn't turned to look at her once, and that fact just made her angrier._

_"Watch your temper." He demanded. Quinn didn't trust herself to speak so she nodded. "So you think you've changed, do you?"_

_She was caught off gaurd by this question, but answered it confidently anyway. "I know I have. I'm a better person than I was before. I'm stronger. I have friends and family who love me and that I love back. I'm there for my.. for Beth. I have Rachel."_

_"So who are you?" Russel asked again, finally spinning his chair around to face her. He looked as smug and sure as her reply._

_"I'm Quinn Fabray."_

—AiZ—

They both heard Quinn groan in her sleep. Rachel looked back in concern, but Quinn for the most part was still leaning against the door, with her head resting on the window. The position looked uncomfortable on her neck, but the only other option for positioning would be dangerous for her and Beth should they hit a hard stop. Rachel fleetingly thought that maybe they should invest in a car seat. She mentally added that to their list.

It had only been about an hour since they'd set off from the rest stop, but Quinn had been exhausted from the nights events and had fallen asleep instantly. Rachel knew that the migraine probably had a lot to do with it too. She had seen the signs of discomfort in Quinn's face as she drove but was surprised when Quinn was actually honest about her headache at the rest stop. It was just in her nature to power through distress, and although that worried Rachel, she knew it was something they'd had to work on, and wouldn't change overnight. Beth seemed to have heard the noise from Quinn too and lifted her head off of Quinn's shoulder to investigate. She inspected Quinn's face, but when she realized she was sleeping, she wondered how she'd make the noise if not awake. When she noticed Rachel looking at them, she smiled.

"Quinn sleeping?" Beth asked Rachel, lifting a tiny hand to Quinn's nose and not noticing when Quinn scrunched her face. It was truly amazing and heartwarming yet frightening how Beth retained her innocence while the world around them was literally rotting. She was only a baby, after all. And so far they'd all vowed to protect and distract her by any means. She often vocalized missing her Mama, but otherwise was comfortable with the girls and Jesse. She was even warming up to Sam and Mike.

"Yes sweetheart, Quinn is dreaming." Rachel smiled.

Beth's little face scrunched up in confusion. "Dreaming?" She questioned.

"Mhmm, its when you see a story while you sleep." Rachel explained, watching Beth absorb the information. Beth apparently thought that this was fascinating and turned her awed stare back to Quinn.

"I want storytime" she told Rachel.

"I don't have a storybook right now, honey.. but how about some music? You like music, right?" She smiled at the baby, knowing if she showed enthusiasm, Beth would follow suit.

"Want music Waychoo!" Beth yelled. Rachel laughed at the pronunciation and excitement.

"Okay sweetheart, but be quiet okay? You don't want to wake Quinn, do you?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"No. No wake Quinn." Beth matched her volume. She then put her two little fingers to her lips and shushed Rachel. Rachel giggled with her and reached back to caress her chubby cheeks. She didn't know where Shelby was, but she hoped she was okay so Beth would see her Mom again. Shelby was probably worried sick. Rachel reached into her jeans pocket and pulled put Jesse's ipod, setting it on a playlist she'd created of songs appropriate for Beth. She placed the ear phones on her little ears, adjusted them to their smallest setting and hit play. Beth smiled as the music started and rested her head back on Quinn's chest. When Rachel turned back around in her seat, she shared a secret smile with Santana.

Santana then looked to the rearview mirror, and saw Quinn give Beth a tiny squeeze as her features softened.

—AiZ—

_Quinn knew this hallway. She'd strutted down these halls in her cheerios uniform and kept her gaze trained forward as students parted to let her pass. She remembered only compromising her stare to glance in the direction of Rachel's locker every morning, only to see Finn fucking Hudson towering over her and smiling like an idiot. She was jealous of him... no.. she was annoyed by him. She'd often wondered how the hell he kept ending up attached to Rachel when he brought absolutely nothing to the table for her. She sneered in his direction but he never looked, too busy being a life suck and draining all the potential from Rachel's body._

_Only now, Quinn realized her clothing was.. normal. Well, normal _now._ She was wearing a dark, thin Strokes tee with safety pen accents, and those dark cargo pants from their court yard performance of Empire State of Mind. Quinn always liked those pants. They made her feel in control, and were a direct snub at the baby doll dresses her mother would always choose for her during back-to-school shopping trips. They had now become part of her Skank attire and she loved them. The chains were a nice touch too. And the pink hair was a strawberry on top._

_Her leisurely stroll was interrupted by a white blur at the end of the hall. "Beth!" She called out, and sprinted down the corridor till she reached the auditorium. She heard singing coming from inside._

_Quinn made her way down the isle. It was dark and she couldn't see where the baby had gone. "Beth?" She called out, "Where are you baby?"_

_"She isn't here," she heard. "Take a seat, Quinn"_

"_Shelby?" Quinn called. "What are you doing here? And where are you?" She asked, grabbing a chair in the darkness and lowering herself as instructed._

_"I'm up here." She grinned. Quinn could see the whites of her teeth glowing. She was higher up than Quinn so she deduced that she must be sitting on the edge of the stage. "How are you Quinn? How's Beth?"_

_"She's safe. I'm really trying Shelby. Its so hard without you. I don't know what to do or where to go." Quinn pleàded. Quinn loved Beth but she knew she still wasn't ready to care for her. Shelby was the best for Beth, and would always be her Mom. Beth reminded Quinn of that fact everyday._

_"That depends a good deal on where you're trying to get to" Shelby stated calmly._

_"I don't care where. Anywhere far away from those... _things."

_Shelby grinned again, startling Quinn when she noticed Shelby was now right beside her. "Then it doesn't matter where you go—"_

_"As long as its somewhere safe." Quinn could see the outline of Shelby's features now that she was so close, but when she blinked, Shelby vanished. Her voice was resonating from the stage again._

_"Oh you'll get there Quinn." She was seated at the piano bench and started softly playing Moonlight Sonata. "If only you drive far enough."_

_"Will there be other people there?" Quinn asked._

_"Certainly, but they're hiding too Quinn. In the direction you're headed, there are normal people. From the direction you're leaving, they've gone mad." Shelby sang._

_Quinn took this to mean that maybe they were right about going North. She wasn't aware that Shelby was only in her head and was only certain about the things that Quinn thought she was certain about. She would agree with any of Quinn's decisions. Shelby didn't mention any of this. "I have to keep her away from them Shelby. I'm trying to be what she needs until you come back. I'm trying to stay calm about all this—"_

_"Oh you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." Shelby grinned again, alerting Quinn to her whereabouts. She wasn't anywhere near the piano, yet it was still playing._

_"What do you mean by that? How am I mad?" Quinn asked shakily._

_"You must be, or you wouldn't be here." Shelby giggled._

_Quinn didn't know what that meant, but she was feeling more than uneasy about it. "What do you.. where's here? Can we turn on the lights, please?"_

_A single stage light shone brightly down upon Quinn, and she realized that she was now standing on stage, Shelby down in the audience where Quinn just was. Of course, that made her visible to Shelby, which was the opposite of what she was hoping for._

_"Look at you," Shelby said, amused. "You're so very beautiful. I bet you hear that all the time, huh?"_

_Quinn looked down at herself and noticed that she was now wearing a white baby-doll dress, with a yellow cardigan and sandal wedges. Her hair was long and blond again, and she had a braid up top to hold her hair back. "Shelby.."_

_"You know, you try your hardest to be the best at everything, so people wont just write you off as a pretty face. But you haven't even been able to convince yourself that you're more than that yet, have you?" Shelby continued in a more serious tone. Quinn dropped her eyes to the stage floor and Shelby could see tears start to shimmer down her cheeks. "Quinn, I know that everything that's happened has been a lot to place on your shoulders.." Shelby stated, startling Quinn yet again when she entered stage left into the light with her. "But you are such an extraordinary young woman. If anyone can survive this, you can. And you aren't alone, honey. You don't have to do it alone." Shelby pulled Quinn into her embrace, and let Quinn sob into her neck for a moment before pulling away and holding her at arms length. _

**"**_Keep going honey, don't ever give up. You'll see me there." Shelby smiled._

* * *

A/N: Again, I can't thank you guys enough for your continued support. A lot of the dialogue in this chapter was tweaked from the book, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ so it might be a bit choppy. I didn't want to change it too much but I had to make it relevant to Quinn, so. Shelby's dialogue was from the book, but the scene itself was based on the Disney movie adaptation _Alice in Wonderland_ because it fit better. I didn't want you guys likening Beth to a pig baby, hahaha. Review? :)?


	5. Off With Her Head!

They needed gas.

Jesse had flashed his hazard lights and Santana had slowed down so that could coast side by side. Rachel rolled down her window to ask what was wrong and his reply had given them all chills. They knew they'd have to stop for gas eventually. They knew that they should've planned better. Because fuck, they should have tried by all means necessary to avoid having to stop in fucking _Detroit._

Jesse's gas light was on. They were passing through downtown.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ There was no way around it. They were going to have to stop. If they risked it and the Rover ran dry.. they'd be all crammed in the Rav with no room for their supplies. They'd have to risk going for gas in fucking downtown Detroit, but at least they'd stay near the highway. They could make a quick escape if absolutely necessary. It'd be.. it'd be simple. Just gas up the Rover and go. Make sure they weren't walking into an ambush, keep their eyes open and everything would be okay. They were each chanting that mantra in their heads and sweating bullets.

Rachel and Santana didn't want to wake Quinn. Beth had again fallen asleep in her lap and they were both blissfully unaware of the situation. Rachel guiltily thought that the cold the baby had been carrying had been somewhat a blessing, since Beth was constantly napping. They really couldn't afford her throwing an uninvited tantrum in a situation like this. And while the baby was generally sweet and mild mannered, she was still in her terrible twos. Quinn was warm with a light fever, and hadn't been feeling well all day so Rachel and Santana decided that it would be best to let them be. The guys agreed.

They'd parked the Rav-4 out of sight beneath an underpass where they had a clear view of the Rover at the station. It was a stroke of luck that they'd found one with automated pumps. _Just swipe the card, fill up, and go. _They didn't want to risk the Rav-4, so the girls watched the guys slowly and quietly pull up to the pump. It was quiet... and the sun was high in the sky, but the daylight did nothing to quell the ominous feeling that surrounded them. Santana and Rachel watched at the edge of their seats as Jesse got out and started the pump.

They realized that it was really fucking loud a little bit too late.

The weirdest thing about zombies, is that their sense of hearing is fucking ridiculous. Its inexplicable how they are able to detect sound so well, and can probably only be attributed to the fact that the rotting flesh around their ears leaves their eardrums exposed and extremely sensitive. Who fucking knows why those things have super human hearing? Its discerning, and right now.. its a huge problem for Jesse.

The girls were startled by groaning and movement to their left. The Rav-4 was out of sight, so the hoard didn't even see them. But Santana and Rachel almost pissed themselves. They had no way to warn the guys of the danger without bringing attention to themselves. They could only watch as the group of undead neared the station and the Rover. Rachel let out a loud sob as she feared the worst for her friends.

"Jesse, Jesse please look up, _please_" she whimpered. "Santana, what do we do?"

"I don't know.. I don't fucking know" Santana whispered hysterically. "Oh my God, they don't see them! Do we drive over there? Oh God.."

Quinn stirred at their voices. She blinked her eyes open and was disoriented at the scene in front of her. She blinked.. and when her eyes focused, she gasped. "What the _fuck"_

"_They needed gas! They needed gas!" _Rachel cried hysterically.

The hoard was closing in on the boys and neither of the girls knew what to do. The guys in the car were facing in the other direction watching that side of the Rover for Jesse. They probably felt protected on the other side because of the Rav-4, and hadn't considered that the girls wouldn't be able to alert them of any danger.

Jesse suddenly left the pump unattended and seemed to head towards a door, opening it and checking inside before shutting it behind him. It was a bathroom.

Sam and Mike looked around since Jesse was out of sight and then, they noticed them.

Too bad they were trapped. The zombies had surrounded the Rover but had not acknowledged what was inside. They were close enough to see in the windows, but seemed to be ignoring the Rover for where they knew flesh had gone, behind the bathroom door. The guys couldn't get out to help him, they wouldn't even have space to open the doors without being blocked by rotting bodies. All they could do was hide and pray that Jesse stayed put and the zoms got bored and wandered away. Hopefully they wouldn't get curious and bum rush the car. Essentially, they were fucked.

—AiZ—

"I have to save them." Quinn stated.

"What!" Rachel shrieked.

"Listen to me, if I don't do something Jesse's going to step out into a fucking shark tank." Quinn said, passing Beth to the front into Rachel's arms and addressing Santana. "Wait till you see them follow me, then come after me with the car—"

"What are you—" Santana cried.

"_LISTEN." _Quinn demanded, "We don't have time! I'll bait them to chase after me. I'm faster, my limbs are healthy and I can get them away from the boys. Trust me!"

Rachel was hysterical. "Quinn please, please you cant—" but Quinn was unlocking her door and opening it. "Quinn! No! Please!"

Her pleas were ignored and Quinn took off toward the station.

—AiZ—

Rachel's least favorite course at NYADA was Drama 101 with Professor Mary Ann Carroll. Professor Carroll herself wasn't so bad, its just that her critiques of Rachel's in-class exercises were so... accurate. Rachel had come from small town Ohio, where she was one of the best in musical theater. _Musical _theater, Professor Carroll had once pointed out "_You have no problem at all presenting your emotions through song, Ms. Berry_," she'd said. "_But without the aid of music to guide you, or lyrics to point you in the right direction.. it seems almost as if your face isn't sure what to with itself..." _Rachel had wanted to be outraged, to storm out and call Santana to bitch about _how rude _and _the nerve of that woman. _Another part of her wanted to call Quinn and cry because she'd never been told she wasn't good at something she cared about and she'd always feared that the day would come and her dreams would be crushed. But the comment was made so.. sincerely and without judgment that Rachel had simply smiled and nodded. She was there to learn, after all.. and if she was ever going to make it on Broadway she needed to be able to accept criticism and apply the helpful parts when they come. So she forwent both phone calls to her girls, and instead called her fathers that night and gushed about how much she was learning and how her Professor was even taking the time out of her busy evening schedule as a performance mime to help Rachel improve. She was proud of her maturity and humility regarding the situation.

What brought the memories slamming back into Rachel at this moment was the look on Quinn's face just now. It was neolithic. If Rachel had never felt the soft skin of her angelic face, she'd have sworn she was a statue. That thought terrified Rachel. She knew that Quinn often had a hard time expressing herself after being raised in an environment where her emotions were seen as a weakness or simply didn't matter. The Beth incident last year was a perfect example of what happened when Quinn could no longer contain them and they boiled over. Rachel had numerous times brought up the option of behavioral therapy, but Quinn's pride had caused her to react negatively to the notion that she might need professional help mentally. Rachel even talked about her own past therapy experience and offered to go with Quinn, but that night she calmly laced up her boots and walked out right before dinner, to the astonishment of Rachel and Shelby. Rachel didn't bring it up again.

It was clear to anyone with healthy emotional responsiveness—_or just Rachel—_that this was affecting Quinn just as much as everyone else. It's just that Quinn's showface—_another area where Rachel excelled—_was not only more impressive than her own, but it was a detriment to her health. Because Quinn wasn't hiding her fear and anguish from everyone else, she was hiding it from _herself. _And where most people learned how to expel their pain so that it wouldn't poison their mind and heart... Quinn literally repressed it. And _that_... Rachel didn't know what would happen.

—AiZ—

_She was running. As soon as the door had slammed behind her she'd taken off at top speed, putting into practice her Cheerio training and her experiences running from police sirens after tagging a wall. She knew what it felt like to be chased, whether by inferior athletes who would kill to take her Queen Bee position, or by those would would rather she go back home and change back into her baby doll dresses and resume her life as Russell's little Quinnie. She'd been chased all her life by boys who wanted her as a trophy, by students who wanted her academic rank as Salutatorian, by girls who wanted to be as pretty as she was. Quinn Fabray had been chased all her life. It was why she was so good at running._

_They didn't notice her at first. She'd been a pink blur headed in their direction and their responses were already slow. But at soon as she'd been identified as human by their rotting brains and eye sockets, it was as if someone had screamed "_Off with her head!". _They were behind her now, slower... but they left no room for error. Should she trip and fall and neglect to recover soon enough... well. Luckily for Quinn, fear was the furthest thing from her mind. She was running and laughing hysterically, like she was simply the first place runner in a race. The noise was enough to entice the undead away from Jesse and as soon as Quinn was around the corner with the undead following her like a group of puppets, Mike and Sam sprang into action collecting Jesse and following the Rav-4 that sped off shortly behind Quinn. They were astonished that she'd tried such a tactic but was immensely grateful that it had worked. Now was the time to fear for her life._

_Quinn cackled as she turned yet another corner, gaining more and more undead the further she ran. She saw them lurking behind buildings and emerging from alleys, yet she wasn't startled by them. She passed one who was close enough to swipe at her, and she yelled "who cares for you? You are but a deck of cards!" over her shoulder. She wasn't sure where she was headed, but she ran. She ran until she heard the Rav-4 gaining up on her. She ran until she had a good lead on the group of rotting flesh behind her. She ran until she was stopped in her tracks by a blond who's jaw was completely unhinged, the tendons in her arm exposed and her eyes a milky white. If she was in her right mind, Quinn would have known that it was improbable that her mother would be in Detroit, Michigan. If she was in her right mind, she wouldn't have stopped as this creature was walking straight at her. If she was in her right mind, however, she might have never jumped out of the car in the first place. But she wasn't in her right mind, so she stood there... surrounded by the undead, staring. And right before the zombie lunged at her, she whispered "Mom?"_

—AiZ—

"Oh my fuck.. oh my fuck" Santana whimpered as she and Rachel watched Quinn sprint down the hill towards the station. She quickly started the Rav-4 and debated whether to wait like Quinn asked or immediately follow. A niggling in the back of her mind told her that if she didn't follow Quinn's orders that Quinn could get hurt by throwing an unknown in her plan. But another equally powerful feeling said that if she didn't follow Quinn _right now_ that Quinn would be hurt by an unknown in her plan. A fucking catch-22 if there ever was one, she ruefully thought before throwing the Rav-4 in drive.

The only thing cementing Rachel so her seat when she so desperately wanted to follow Quinn and drag her back was the weight of the toddler in her arms. She watched as Quinn approached the hoard and ran right past them, gaining their attention and leading them away from the boys. As soon as she got them to follow her, they followed the group in the Rav-4.

"She's fucking insane.. she's finally lost it.." Santana murmured as she navigated around the bodies of the undead chasing Quinn. Quinn had a good head start, and the group was separating them. They still hadn't killed.. _anyone.. _yet, and Santana was treating the walkers like common pedestrians. She was avoiding hitting them.

"Santana, more are coming. Go!" Rachel growled, tightening her hold on Beth. She wanted Santana to knock them out of the way. Quinn had a good lead but for how long? As long as she was out there she was in danger. Rachel couldn't handle that.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Santana whimpered. And she was. She was trying her best to get to Quinn as soon as possible, but she couldn't bring herself to just mow down the bodies of.. _people.. _or at least, they were once people. They had families and children and friends and, oh God.. this was not the time to lament what they'd become. Because Quinn had just _stopped running._

—AiZ—

The guys had immediately sprung into action when they saw Quinn speed by them. They were stunned for a split second at the _why, _and _what is she thinking_ but they knew she was risking it for them. The adrenalin they'd built panicking over the fact they were surrounded and helpless hit them full force as Mike hopped out to remove the gas nozzle and Sam went to retrieve Jesse from the toilet. As soon as they'd gotten back inside the Rover they saw the Rav-4 speed by, and they immediately followed. They weren't 100% on what the hell was happening but they knew that Quinn had saved them with her insane strategy of playing bait, and that now _she _was the one in immediate danger. Jesse felt his heart pounding in his chest at the thought that Quinn could die attempting to save him. He didn't have a chance to dwell on it at them moment, though. It would catch up with him later.

Sam was furious. He loved Quinn so much and she was always her own biggest threat. He wasn't foolish enough to ignore that she'd just saved their asses but he knew, he just _knew _that she'd simply reacted and thrust herself into the line of fire without taking a single second to form a plan. He was baffled at how she could be so calm and calculated most of the time but as soon as she encounters an unforeseen circumstance she jumps off a cliff and hopes for the best. A part of him knew that certain trait of hers made her brave, made her quick to adapt to change and made her a born leader. A much larger part of him knew that it made her reckless and sometimes even foolish. He didn't know what to think about a girl like Quinn and spent most of his time trying to figure out the best way to be her friend and help without stepping on her toes. They'd been there for each other since the minute she wiped his first slushy off his face with a delicate hand. Back then, he thought he'd marry her and they'd have a simple life together. He soon came to admire her for the fact that nothing in Quinn's life had ever been simple, yet regardless of what was thrown at her, she'd always managed to come out on top. He knew now that she was so extraordinary, that sometimes _she _couldn't even handle it. Sometimes she flat out worried him.

Mike was busy trying to catch up with the girls and not run over any... _anything_. He could hardly see Quinn's tiny figure ahead, and the Rav-4 trailing behind her. Quinn was always an enigma to Mike, but he understood her a lot more than others claimed to. They'd always ran within the same jock circles, and attended the same parties and outings. They'd often been the only sober ones in their group of friends out of a need to keep control of situations that could quickly get out of hand among a group of wasted jocks and cheerleaders. Quinn had always watched out for Santana, and it was evident even before anyone knew they were together. Mike also understood that they had a similar home life, striving to fit the mold their parents had carved for them. Mike had met the Fabrays, their families all attended the same church in Lima and the circle of wealth in their community was pretty tight knit. Mike Chang knew Quinn Fabray. He wasn't surprised in the least that she'd pull a stunt like this. He couldn't say that he hadn't been considering something rash himself. He may have been Valedictorian of their class, beating Quinn by a few points, but she'd always been a born leader. He shook his head as she literally led the way while they followed.

—AiZ—

"Santana run them over! They're already dead!" Rachel yelled as she climbed over the middle console into the back seat. Beth had awoken during all the commotion and was wailing, adding to the intense stress of the situation. Rachel placed her on the seat and strapped the waist belt around her, extremely guilty that she couldn't yet comfort the baby. Rachel placed her body in front of Beth and prepared to open the right side door and scoop Quinn up when they were close enough.

"She fucking stopped." Santana deadpanned. Flinching as the squelch of a body was felt under the tires. "Rachel, be ready to grab her!" She swerved the car to block the approaching hoard. "Rachel!"

Rachel was ready. She flung open the door and yanked Quinn out of the way of the lunging zombie. Quinn seemed dazed and unaware of what was happening. Rachel dragged her inside, placing herself between Beth and Quinn, and as soon as they were inside the door was slammed shut by the force of the car jerking toward as Santana stomped on the gas.

—AiZ—

Beth was screaming. Rachel and Santana were hyperventilating. Quinn didn't even blink.

* * *

A/N: Someone mentioned that there was a lot of mental stuff going on with Quinn. I giggled a little because guys, the title! If you've never read _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ I guess it would be a bit weird, and I suppose I jumped the gun in the assumption that everyone would get it. I love the book, the Disney cartoon, and the Tim Burton movie so I assumed everyone would love it like I do. But in short: **SPOILER ALERT!** Wonderland was in Alice's head. It was her perfect dream world that turned out to be somewhat of a nightmare. That's what I am trying to do with Quinn. She has everything she's ever wanted here, but it's still a living nightmare, get it? Reviews pls! Thank you guys for reading even though its a little weird :)


	6. Painting Roses Red

_"Quinnie?"_

_"Mom.."_

_"Oh goodness Quinn, what's wrong honey?"_

_Quinn's face was wet with tears, and her eyes were swollen and red. It was obvious she'd been crying for an extended period of time. Judy missed the days where she could be at home when her daughter returned from school, but she knew that her new job and new found independence was good for the both of them. She'd never have expected to come home to this though._

_"She—she went right back to him, Mom. After everything... I just don't get it." Quinn sobbed._

_Judy had no idea what her youngest daughter was talking about. "Who went back to whom, honey? Is this about Santana and Noah? I never knew you had feelings for him.."_

_Quinn might have laughed if her heart wasn't aching so strongly. "No, Santana's with.. Rachel, Mom—"_

"_Rachel and Santana are..?"_

_That time Quinn couldn't help but snort. Judy smiled at the noise, glad that she could make her child feel at least a little better. She still wasn't certain what got Quinn so upset but she'd do whatever she could to make it right._

_"No Mom," Quinn giggled. "Rachel.. she's with Finn again." Quinn finished quietly._

_Judy wasn't sure how to approach this. She hadn't heard of a Finn. She'd found out Quinn was living with the Noah boy for a short period of time, but no Finn. "And you.. you're in.. _like.. _with Finn?"_

_Quinn let out a long sigh as she wiped her eyes. Judy noticed the set of her jaw which meant Quinn's mind was set and she was determined to get through.. something._

_"Not Finn," she said quietly but with a firm stare. Oh._

_"Then... Rachel?" Judy asked unnecessarily. Quinn nodded her head once, her eyes never leaving Judy's. Judy realized that she was waiting for a reaction, for Judy to turn her back on her again and thrust her out into the streets. She focused on breathing normally although the thought that her daughter obviously didn't feel safe and secure in her home tore at her heart strings. She didn't know what to say, so she simply said "Oh, honey.." and pulled Quinn into her arms. Quinn let out a relieved breath and sobbed again._

_They sat like that, with Quinn halfway in her mothers lap, grasping onto her for dear life for almost an hour. Judy still didn't know what she could say to Quinn. She loved her daughter, she was never going to let her out of her sight again, and she promised when Quinn moved back in she'd support her, and she planned on doing that. She thought maybe Quinn had fallen asleep in her arms when she murmured "Maybe I should give Burt Hummel a call.." Quinn's giggles meant the world to her in that moment, and she kissed her head and contemplated ordering Chinese for dinner. She'd have to research "homosexuality in young females" later, but for now she felt like indulging in some egg rolls._

_"I love you Quinnie." She whispered, giving Quinn another squeeze._

_"I love you too, Mom." Quinn smiled. Judy knew she also loved sweet and sour chicken._

—AiZ—

"Quinn?" Rachel cried next to her. Quinn still hadn't spoken, Beth was still whimpering and reaching for her, and Santana was still speeding towards the highway entrance ramp. They'd be much calmer when they got the hell out of Detroit, but it would take a while to recover from such a close encounter of the _worst _kind. "Baby, please." Rachel whimpered. She was highly aware of Beth behind her, but she had to protect her from an erractic and unstable Quinn. Quinn would never forgive herself if she unintentionally did anything to harm Beth. She kept her body firmly between the two of them. She felt Beth's tiny hands grabbing at her shirt, but ignored it for the time being.

"We need to stop," Santana cried. "I need.. I need a minute."

The Rav-4 pulled into the inside lane on the highway, so they could see any potential danger coming at them from a distance. They were all extremely on edge. The Rover pulled up closely behind them.

"Quinn.. say something, anything, baby.. please." Rachel sobbed. She didn't know what to do. She needed some reassurance that it was still Quinn in there. An angry or scared Quinn would do.. but catatonic Quinn was.. terrifying.

Santana had her head resting against the steering wheel and was desperately trying to calm herself down. She felt like.. she didn't know what she felt like but she knew she just wanted to go home to her Mami and Papi and just wake up already from this fucking nightmare. She missed them so much. She missed Brittany. She'd been pissed to find out that the girl wasn't graduating and had held the fact from her. She'd been lying about grades for months, turning down study sessions and just blowing off everything important to their escape from Lima. She'd been so angry, and she hadn't spoken to Brittany since their fight before graduation.. now she just wished she could talk to her. She wished she knew Brittany was okay.

Jesse came around to the drivers side of the Rav-4 and his sudden appearance startled Santana until she realized it was him, then she flung open the door and into his arms and let go. She cried so hard that it reminded her of her Abuela. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Would she ever get the chance to see her again? Would Abuela ever get the chance to see what a great person she'd become when finally she allowed herself to blossom? She lamented everything that she thought would never be repaired, the people she thought she'd never see again. Jesse lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the Rover so they could cry together.

Sam had tears streaming down his face, but he couldn't focus on that now. They were in an unknown area just outside the Detroit city limits, and they were not out of danger. He replaced Santana as driver of the Rav-4 while Mike took his place as driver of the Rover. They had to at least get to a state park or something, then they could shift around supplies and all curl up in one car together. As he pulled back into the lane, he glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Mike was following, then at Rachel, who looked back at him with tears streaming down her face as she clutched a whimpering Beth to her chest. Quinn seemingly ignored all of them.

—AiZ—

"_You're taking this exceptionally well." Quinn said as her mother gaped at her newly pink head. "I mean, I figured you'd lecture me or.. demand I change it back or.. something"_

_Judy glared at her daughter. "You know Quinn, you're not convincing me that you're a mature young adult when you act out like this."_

_Quinn snickered."Come on Mom, its not so bad. I like it, and I promise I didn't do it just to get a rise out of you" she smiled, sitting down next to her mother. Judy had been reading in bed, waiting for Quinn to get home. Quinn had found a new group of friends over the summer who she said accepted her and helped her express herself. Quinn hadn't mentioned that the Skanks often went around vandalizing business buildings in downtown Lima, and enticing patrons to buy alcohol for them by giving them a show of two hot young girls making out. Quinn also neglected to mention her new smoking habit. Judy could smell it on her. She sighed._

_"I get it Quinn—I've been doing the research you know—and I know what this is. You're testing me to see how far you can push before I betray your trust again. Honey, you've got to stop this. I let you hang out with those.. _girls.._ at first because the Google said that you needed a support group and its just you and me right now. I love you, honey, I promise I'm not going to turn my back on you again. I'm trying to regain your trust and give you some freedoms and a little independence, but if you keep pushing me I wont have a choice but to ground you.. and I haven't had to do that since you were thirteen." Judy smiled. "This is your home, Quinn. I'm your Mom. I'm sorry, and I know that will never be enough after what I allowed to happen, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to show you that I love you and support you from now on."_

_Quinn was motionless throughout her mother's speech and she stared at her until Judy finished with a smile. She blinked back her tears because dear God, she didn't know a person could cry so much. She inhaled harshly through her nose to calm herself and swallowed a lump in her throat before meeting her mother's patient eyes. "Okay," she said. "But I really do like this hair." She grinned._

_"Are you sure you're not trying to get anyone else's attention?" Judy smirked. Quinn's eyes widened. "You know I talked to Dr. Berry the other night," she raised an eyebrow at Quinn, amused by her uncomfortable squirming "and he politely invited me to a show they're putting on at that theater downtown you've been loitering around. Seems his daughter Rachel has been there all summer, attending their acting camp."_

_When Quinn realized her mother was teasing her, she gave her a half smile. "She's been spending all her time with Finn, Mom. He picks her up like everyday after they let out.." she murmured, fixing her stare at the opposite wall._

_Judy felt her heart soften for her love struck little puppy. She'd never seen Quinn like this except when she and Santana had fought over.. what did they—oh. Oh! Well, she hadn't seen her Quinnie like this in a while. Quinn was beautiful and smart, and such a sweetheart when she let people in. Judy just wanted her baby girl to be happy. She didn't need to be moping around all summer doing God knows what with those.. Sluts.. or whatever they're called._

_"You used to tell us to call you 'The Amazing Quinnie', do you remember that?" Judy nudged her with her shoulder, and Quinn smiled._

_"Yeah, I do. Santana and I watched David Blaine at a slumber party with Britt, and we were convinced we could do some of the tricks if we tried hard enough."_

_"You were. I remember you girls 'practing' your levitation skills" Judy teased._

_Quinn snorted. "Yeah, that went well. Britt argued that we just weren't starting high enough and tried to jump from the tree house. Santana and I agreed that we needed to find something else to obsess over before Britt got seriously hurt."_

_Judy giggled and hugged Quinn into her side. "Maybe that was a tiny bit irresponsible of me to let you girls think you could... fly." Judy paused to form her words properly. "But at the moment, Quinnie, you believed that anything you set to do was possible. I'd seen that determined spark you get in your eye and I just moved out of the way. I thought to myself, maybe it just isn't possible for the rest of us... but The Amazing Quinnie might just find a way."_

_Quinn giggled at her mothers words. She was such a dork as a kid._

_"I was happy your father worked late and never got the chance to interrupt your practices," Judy continued. "It was more important to me that you knew that anything _was _possible, Quinn, and it still is." She said as she looked seriously at her daughter. "You are still amazing. And just because you can't be with her now, doesn't mean you wont ever get your shot."_

_Quinn smiled. "But we never did learn to levitate."_

_Judy snorted. "Well you _just _admitted that you gave up trying."_

_Quinn laughed and buried her head in her Mom's shoulder. She was so greatful for this second chance that sometimes it felt unreal._

—AiZ—

Lakeport State Park was off their trail quite a ways, but they just wanted to rest and the GPS had directed them there and it felt far enough away from Detroit that they could relax a little easier. The fact that there was a military issued humvee at the entrance booth allowed them to breathe a little easier. The attendant Ranger assured them that the area had been quiet that week and that they should be alright, but to not let their guard down too far and to sleep safely in the vehicles. There were cabins on one side of the grounds, but they still didn't find much comfort in being too close to people. It felt almost like a western film, the air was tainted with lawlessness, hostility, and betrayal for survival; and anyone who wasn't a part of their group was suspect. They couldn't just go around handing out trust. Rookies mistakes like that got you robbed and left for dead.

Quinn could feel the weight of Rachel's body leaning against her. She lifted her arm to allow Rachel to curl into her body, and Rachel immediately did so. She buried her face into Quinn's neck and shifted Beth in between them so Quinn could feel her daughter pressing into her ribs. Beth frowned up at her and she looked down at her little face. She felt an intense shame for checking out on them, she ran her hand over Beth's head and placed a kiss a top Rachel's.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She sobbed. Rachel was crying again too.

Beth sensed their distress and stretched her tiny arms in an attempt to guide them into a group hug. "Its okay.. its okay Quinn and Waychoo.. stop crying." She whispered with the most sincere sad face neither of them had ever wanted to see on her.

They both squeezed her tiny body and she laid her head on Quinn's chest. She was okay now, and she wanted them both to be. She was also interested in continuing her nap, but she'd never admit that.

"I love you both so much," Quinn whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't leave me again Quinn," Rachel whined. "I-I know you had to save us, but please.. there's.. we have to talk about it before you just take off and try to.. to sacrifice yourself!" she argued.

"I know. I'm sorry." Quinn repeated. "I cant promise that I wont do everything I can to protect us, Rachel, but.. I promise to at least consider less reckless strategies."

"Its okay Quinn" Beth repeated.

Quinn smiled down at her. "I know baby. It is okay. You're so wonderful, you know that?"

"Yes." Beth stated simply. Quinn couldn't help but giggle and kiss her head again. She really was a wonderful girl. And although the circumstances absolutely sucked she cherished the opportunity to see this wonderful little person more and more each day.

—AiZ—

They'd decided to spend the night at the campsite and continue their journey North the next morning. That night, they'd shifted all the supplies into the Rover and congregated in the cargo hold of the Rav-4. They each ate cold spaghetti O's out of a can and looked at their supplies with disdain at the fact that they would soon be getting low. No one wanted to entertain the idea of running into those things again. They'd hold off as much as possible, and maybe shit would get real when they couldn't avoid it anymore.

It was the first time, when Santana and Mike had plowed through the bodies. She was taking it much harder than he was, because it really hadn't hit him yet. But Santana had been quiet and glued to Jesse for the rest of the evening. She'd killed them. She'd ran them over like road kill. But isn't that kind of what they were? Just corpses?

They'd been so lucky to avoid them for so long. It had been three weeks. Three weeks of running and avoidance. But how long was that going to last? How long would they be emotional about it before their skin toughened, and they stopped questioning the humanity behind killing the undead? How long before Beth was acquainted with this insane new world they'd been fighting so hard to shield her from? Just.. _how long?_

Quinn couldn't do this anymore. They needed a plan. They needed to prepare themselves to survive this for the long haul. None of them would admit it but they'd all been hoping that this was just some sort of fluke situation that the government lost control over momentarily, but that they'd be back to fix it. Who knew what the hell was going on at that medical conference and if they'd found a cure. They needed answers. But first, they needed to accept this nightmare as their new reality. They had to, or it wouldn't be their lives anymore, because they'd cease to be alive. Quinn wasn't gonna give up this time. She'd finally gotten everything she'd wanted and she wasn't ready to let go.

"We need to protect ourselves better." Quinn stated in the dark. She was holding a dozing Beth on her chest. They were all packed in the Rav-4 like a can of pringles, but they felt better being close together. Quinn was in the middle because she needed to lie flat for her back—_and so Beth could sleep comfortably on top of her—_with Rachel and Sam on her left, and Mike, Santana, and Jesse on her right. They were all facing her.

"I agree." Sam said quietly. "We cant put ourselves in a position like that anymore."

"This might sound odd," Rachel murmured, her breath tickling Quinn neck. "But I think we should hit up a book store, or a library. There's a lot to be learned here and though our group is much more knowledgeable than any of us would be alone, we would benefit from extra research."

"We need a medical book." Mike added. "We need to know what to do should we need medical attention since we cant just dial 911 anymore."

"Okay," Quinn agreed. "What else?"

"We need melee weapons. And we need to learn to protect ourselves with our bodies in case we're ever unarmed." Sam said. "We need martial arts training videos or something."

"I took karate as a kid" Mike smiled. Quinn snorted and Rachel giggled.

"No you didn't," Rachel said, "we were in ballet with Britt when we were kids Michael."

"Why you gotta call me out like that Rach?" He whined. They all snickered. "I'm still pretty ninja though."

Quinn hummed. "Okay, so we need something practical like a few baseball bats, some self defense Dvds, and some health books. What else?"

"We need more clothes.." Santana whispered. Quinn reached an arm around Mike to touch her shoulder and encourage her. "We've all been wearing the same stuff over and over, with only two sets of clothing each. That could cause sanitary issues that we need to avoid."

They all agreed. Clothing might seem trivial but it was getting colder every day. Most of them had long sleeves and light jackets, but where they were headed that wouldn't be enough.

"Jesse? What do you think?" Quinn asked. He had been silent for the whole conversation.

Jesse swallowed against a knot that had built in his throat. "I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies to the group," he said softly but firmly, pulling Santana even closer into his chest. "It.. it was a mistake on my part to let my guard down so easily—"

"Jesse.."

"No, Rachel, please. Let me.. I have to apologize. Because of my neglect you risked your life Quinn. Santana had to.. be the first to experience a kill, and you Mike, did too. I put Mike and Sam in a situation that left them surrounded.. and I.. I'm the elder here. I'm supposed to have two years more common sense than the group and.. I let you down in a major way. I cant express how deeply my regret runs for my actions."

The group was silent before Quinn reached out to squeeze his hand. He was furthest away from her behind Santana, so she couldn't see his face. But she knew he was sincere, even though no one really blamed him.

She was curious though. "Where exactly did you go, Jesse?"

"I had to poop." He responded easily, causing the group to laugh at his expense. He didn't mind though, the were all alive with the ability to laugh, that's what was important.

"So we good then?" Sam asked when the group sobered.

"I think so." Quinn responded. "I know we need to get more rice, as many canned goods as possible, and you and Mike need better hunting gear. Maybe some books to improve your technique. We need more clothes, medical supplies and books, melee weapons and self defense Dvds. In fact, we need to pick up some regular Dvds too—we're human, and will need entertainment. We are lucky if this place really is solar electric." Quinn paused.

"We've covered food, health, self defense, and entertainment. What else are we forgetting?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know, but that's a good start." Quinn replied. "When we touch base in Algonquin Woods tomorrow, we'll set up and get comfortable. After we make sure its safe and we can rest easy, we get to work. We'll set up our runs for what we need and go from there. Is that a plan?"

They all murmured in agreement before closing their eyes and trying to get some rest.

—AiZ—

_Quinn couldn't feel.. much of anything. She knew she was lying down, and she was certain she could hear her mother's voice, but she hadn't yet opened her eyes. It almost felt like she was floating. She briefly wondered if she, Mack, and Santana had finally found a way to overdose on pot. They were working on their friendship and hanging out again, and Santana held her own with the Skanks. They actually really liked having her around, and Quinn was happy that she could spend her time surrounded by people who accepted her for who she was.. even if she hadn't figured that out completely yet._

_She could hear the beeping of a machine. It reminded her of... wait... where was she?! She slowly fought to open her eyes and call out to her mother._

_Judy had alerted the nurse as soon as she realized Quinn was awake. Quinn's hazel eyes were big and wet and imploring her for answers. She grabbed Quinn's hand and tried to reign in her tears, but a few rogue ones escaped onto her cheeks. _

_"You were in an accident honey. You're okay. Everything will be—" Judy was cut off by a sob the wrenched its way through her throat. They'd been through so much together the past few months and Judy desperately wanted to know if they'd get a reprieve. Quinn was growing up but she was still her baby girl, and Judy had to watch her suffer time and time again like a tragic character in a poorly written soap opera. She could barely hold herself together but she would. For Quinn. "Everything will be okay. You suffered a bit of damage but the doctor will be here to explain the next steps and we'll fix it, okay?"_

_Quinn just nodded and stared sadly into her mothers eyes. She wondered just how much she'd aged her mother recently. How much more would she put the woman through before she regretted letting Quinn back in? "I'm so sorry, Mom."_

_Judy's grip tightened slightly on Quinn's hand at the guilty tone. "Honey, no. Why are you apologizing? This was an accident. It wasn't your fault." She placed a kiss on the back of Quinn's hand. "Please Quinn, just get some rest honey, everything will be okay"_

_Quinn's doctor came and ran a few tests to check Quinn's vitals and explained the situation. He explained that Quinn had been hit by a truck on her blind side. The impact caused damage to her lower spinal column leaving her in temporary paralysis of her lower extremities. He talked to them about treatment options and physical therapy, but Quinn hadn't been able to focus on the state of her own body. She was too busy worrying about Rachel._

_She had been on her way to visit a distraught Rachel so that she could find out what was wrong and comfort her. Rachel had called her extremely upset about something and her fathers couldn't help calm her down. She was talking to her on her cell as she drove through a heavy downpour to get to the girl. Then.. she got hit._

_"Mom, where's Rachel?" She asked._

_"I'm sure she's on her way honey, it took me a while to contact her fathers and its storming harshly outside. We're in Columbus, because your father requested you be sent here." Judy said, watching for Quinn's reaction._

_"Daddy? What... why? Where is he?" _

_"He was here earlier.. but he left, honey. I'm sorry.."_

_"Its.. fine. I'm surprised he came at all." Quinn sighed._

_"Honey, I know he has a very terrible way of showing it, and refuses to acknowledge his mistakes.. but he does cares about you, Quinnie." Judy said. Her eyes were pleading with Quinn to believe her but she knew it was unlikely she would._

_The moment was interrupted by a nurse announcing that Quinn had more visitors and that she'd send them in. Quinn didn't have to look up to know that Rachel was the first to enter the room, followed by Santana and Mrs. Lopez, the Berry men, and Shelby._

_"Quinn.." Rachel spoke softly with tears in her eyes._

_Quinn simply opened her arms and let Rachel—gently—fall into them. She felt Santana sit next to them on the hospital bed, careful of all the cords and plugs, and she allowed herself to soak in this room full of people who loved her and were concerned about her. Her heart felt full and warm, even as her chest ached to breathe._

* * *

__A/N: I had a family emergency which I had to fly home for and stay with my grandmother for a while. When I asked if she had WiFi in her apartment building, she responded "What is WiFi?"..in case you were wondering what took so long, haha. Everything's all gravy now though and I'm home so AiZ continues.

I have a question though. I'm working on the sequel still and Russel plays a huge part in it. I like trying to redeem Russel in fic, so what do you think? Should he be a villain in the end or a good guy?

Thanks for reading. :)


	7. All Persons More Than a Mile High

There were kisses being pressed to her face and she felt a wide smile creep up into her awakening, enticing giggles from the two culprits atop her. It was like being in heaven, or as close to heaven as she could imagine at the moment hearing those sounds come from her daughter and her girlfriend. She never thought she'd ever get to hear either of them again at a certain point in her past. This crazy Wonderland had somehow given her everything she'd ever dreamed about wrapped in a nightmare, complete with a giant bow.

Beth was sitting on her stomach, giggling at her reactions to the kisses she and Rachel were raining on Quinn's face. Quinn could feel her small weight against her abs and her tiny hands on her chest. Beth seemed content with this game, and Rachel's encouragement just spurred her on more. Quinn didn't mind the sloppy drool at all, savoring each kiss to her face more than she herself could even understand.

She cracked open one eye and peaked at Beth and Beth let out an excited squeal, delighted that her methods to wake Quinn were successful. Quinn giggled at her and tickled her little tummy, mentally surveying Beth's baby food supply. She'd have to find some peaches and banana pureés, they were Beth's favorites.

Rachel scooped Beth up so that Quinn could sit up and stretch, returning kisses to her favorite faces. "Where is everyone? What time is it?" Quinn asked. It was bright outside, and it was unusual for Quinn to sleep in. They had duties to attend to and she usually couldn't get comfortable enough on her back to sleep well anyways. She hoped the cabin had a bed with a soft mattress that she could share with Rachel and Beth.

Rachel smiled and reached up to smooth down Quinn's unruly mane. It was quite a bit longer than it had been over the summer, and her blond roots were beginning to surface. "It's a little after ten. Mike and Sam left a while ago to get in showers before we go, and if I'm not mistaken Jesse and Santana took a walk so they could burn through the pot stash they discovered in his glove compartment this morning." At Quinn's disapproving look she quickly explained "Jesse said it would help Santana... deal.. with yesterday and help her relax. She apparantly had a rough night. Jesse swore he'd be vigilant and refrain from indulging so that she could relax a little."

Quinn sighed. They were on camp grounds that were technically secure, but they still couldn't afford to let their guards down. They needed to be alert and careful at all times. But they were human, right? No one could survive in a state of perpetual fear. The anxiety alone would kill. Still, she couldn't shake her apprehension over staying here too long, with so many other survivors around, guards or no. It just didn't feel as _safe_ as when they were under the radar surrounded by people they could trust. "Alright then," she said. "I take it no ones eaten yet.."

—AiZ—

They were actually packing their things to leave when Quinn's suspicions were proven.

There was yelling, _loud _yelling coming from a camp nearby. It sounded like an argument had broken out within a group _very_ close to where they were located. At first, it was easy to ignore and focus on their own duties, but soon their human instinct made them curious and somehow anxious to help. Quinn and Mike shared a quick glance before deciding it might be okay to safely scope out the situation before determining if they could offer any assistance. The yelling had gotten progressively louder, and against their better judgement, they'd decided to see why.

After reassurances that they would stay out of sight and be extremely careful, Mike and Quinn had managed to get everyone else into the cars and ready to go. Sam, Rachel, and Beth were situated at the ready in the Rav-4, and Jesse and Santana were prepared in the Rover. All their supplies were packed and as soon as Quinn and Mike returned they could go.

They crept through the trees and behind a large boulder until they reached a downward slope which revealed the neighboring group. They stayed quiet and well hidden, and made sure that they had a proper exit path should they need to make haste. The group looked to be pretty small, and they could only see four people. There were two guys at each other's throats— _the primary cause of the commotion—_ one girl trying to mediate— _extremely ineffectively— _there was a final guy, larger in build, tied loosely to a tree.

It didn't take long for them to realize he had turned.

At Quinn's gasp, Mike looked over and saw that she was aware of the situation as well. By the shouting, the conversation wasn't hard to follow at all.

The large guy tied to the tree had been bitten last night, and they'd attempted to avoid _taking care _of him by tying him down for the night so he couldn't harm them _if _he turned. It was eerie to observe him, his arms a sickly grey tint, but otherwise no visible distinction from a normal person. He was growling and trying to break free from his binds, reaching towards the group not ten feet away from him.

One of the guys was arguing that they should find a way to restrain him and take him with them to whereever they were headed. He argued that they could find a cure in DC still, that it wasn't too late yet because his brother's body had only just succumb to the virus, and his flesh hadn't started to rot yet. He was appalled that the female of the group wasn't siding with him, and he was furious that she wasn't willing to fight to save her fiancé's life. The third guy, who they'd referred to as "Jeff", wholeheartedly disagreed with the idea that they could save "Paul" because he argued that it would be a huge risk to bring him along, not only exposing them to the virus but physically endangering themselves. He adamantly believed they should leave Paul tied up so at least he couldn't hurt anyone, even if they couldn't be the ones to finally put him to rest.

What happened next ended the argument once and for all.

Quinn and Mike could only watch as the group completely ignored what Paul was doing behind them. Even if they wanted to warn them, they hadn't had time after the rope snapped. Paul lunged at them as soon as he was free to gain momentum, and sunk his teeth straight into the girl's neck.

Her blood curdling screams only lasted a few seconds as the two other guys tried to free her from Paul's grasp, but they hadn't succeeded in saving her life, only gaining Paul's attention. He quickly lost interest in her lifeless body and lunged next for his brother, pinning him to a nearby tree and lifting him like a rag doll. He then buried his jaw into his brothers stomach, and took a massive chuck of flesh with him when he pulled back, blood spilling everywhere from the wound into the soil and on their clothes. The last guy was horrified by the tragic turn of events and seemed to realize that the responsibility now fell to him to stop Paul. He pulled out a gun and fired two shots into Paul's _back,_ and it became clear that this would have been his first kill, because he didn't seem to know that a shot to the back would only slow Paul down at _best, _and it _didn't even manage to do that._

It only managed to piss him off.

Paul dropped the body he'd been feasting on and turned to lunge at Jeff, who was stunned that the shots hadn't worked. In his shock, he didn't reactly quickly enough and Paul managed to grab him by his shirt and slam him to the ground. He hit the dirt _hard_ and tried his best to scramble away, but Paul grabbed his leg and bit into it, causing him to yell out in pain. He only just managed to twist around with the gun in his hand and fire two more shots into Paul's brain.

Quinn and Mike witnessed the entire thing. They could do nothing about it.

Quinn's breathing was erratic and she was shaking, and she knew her face was wet with tears but they needed to go, _now. _They shouldn't have even bared witness to the horror that had just unfolded upon three _people's _lives. Those were _people._ They were surviving like their own group was, they'd just made a few wrong moves and one bite caused the lives of four people.

Yes four, because the last guy had been bitten.

Quinn grabbed onto Mike's arm in an attempt to get him moving but he was stuck. His status was as wrecked as her own, but he was staring determinately down at the scene as if he didn't sense how urgent it was that they _get the fuck out of there._

"Mike.. Mike come on, we have g-go!" Quinn cried in anguish, she was still pulling on his arm but he wasn't budging.

He turned his dark eyes to her, choking on his own tears. "Quinn we have to do something. All those bodies are going to reanimate. And when he dies.. he.. we have to kill him."

Quinn knew. She had been thinking the same thing. But neither of them had ever killed anyone before. They hadn't even killed their first _undead_ yet. They'd just witnessed people be _slaughtered.. _and no matter how ethical.. that guy was still _alive_, and he had a _gun. _They couldn't risk it. They just couldn't.

"Mike we have to think about us. We have to protect ourselves. He could.. he could see us as a threat instead of a way out and shoot back. We can't hit him from here. We can't." Quinn choked. Mike nodded and glanced back at the scene one last time before grabbing Quinn's hand and hauling ass back to the group.

They wouldn't question the humanity of killing the undead any longer.

—AiZ—

_"I want you to come with me."_

_Quinn and Santana were lounging on Santana's bed. They had a bowl resting between them that they intended on smoking, but Mack had cancelled on them and so Quinn thought it an appropriate opportunity to bring up the invitation. She was resting against the head board comfortably on pillows, watching as Santana paused between preparing the glass pipe._

_"Fuck, Quinn. That's not.. how is that fair to ask me?" Santana glared and dropped the baggy back onto the mattress. "You can't— we haven't even talked about the obvious fact that certain events between us lead you straight to Fuckerman in the first place okay? And don't even try to fucking psycho bullshit me. I'm going to be mature enough to say right fucking now that I'm still a little bitter about the situation and I don't want to unfairly and unintentionally let that bitterness out on Beth." She huffed, Quinn stared at her and she stared back defiantly, before deciding that this situation really needed to be smoked away and picked back up her supplies._

_Quinn for the most part watched her pack the pipe and light it. She knew that they never got any closure and they'd just swept everything under the rug when a pink plus sign stared back at them on stained plastic. She knew that the whole situation was entirely unfair to Santana. Their relationship hadn't even been officially over before she found out Quinn had slept with Puck. And she didn't even get the chance to be properly angry about it, because Quinn had immediately needed her support a few weeks later._

_Quinn let her exhale before reaching out to grab her hand. She played with the fingers before deciding on the best way to approach the conversation that desperately needed to be had. "No matter what I say, I can't change what happened—"_

_Santana scoffed and tried to pull her hand away. "You know what Quinn—"_

_"No, please Tana. Listen." Quinn pleaded, gripping Santana's hand in her own. "I am so, so sorry that I hurt you. The way things happened... it was completely fucked up and it was mostly my fault. I know. And I honestly can't even believe you're still in my life as my best friend. But you're right, I was so angry after we fought and I just, I couldn't handle it. I needed someone to talk to and I called Puck. I swear to God I just needed someone to vent my frustrations to and maybe even help me figure out how to fix it, but he brought alcohol and took advantage of the situation and I fell for it. I'm so sorry. But I can't change that now. You deserved better than that. You still do. And I will forever be greatful that you were able to swallow your anger and be there for me because God knows I didn't deserve it." Santana had tears in her eyes and her chin was trembling. Quinn reached forward to pull her best friend into her lap and hold her closely, ignoring the pain in her healing legs. "I'll always love you, Santana. I know I fucked it up with you. But I love Beth. I love her with everything in me. I regret hurting you but I will never, ever regret having her. You'll both always be in my life and I know you'll love her. I know you already do, because you were there, Tana. I'll respect it if you don't want to, but I'd really like you to go with me to see her again."_

_Santana sniffled and Quinn wiped away her tears with her thumbs. "...she looks so much like you Quinn." She finally murmured with a sad smile._

_"I know," Quinn whispered. "I can't believe Shelby's letting me see her."_

_Santana let out a long sigh. "I'll come. I do want to see her. You're my best friend Q. You don't deserve me, bitch, but you always will be. And I guess I should get over it since I'm dating Britt and you're pining over the munchkin now" she smirked._

_Quinn groaned. "I'm not pining! And she's going to be there too so I need you. She's been having dinner with Shelby every week. I guess they're working on a relationship."_

_Santana hummed. "For what its worth I think she'll be good for you Quinn. We're so much alike that I used to think we'd take over the world together, but mostly it just made us fight over every little thing. I just want you to be happy, okay?"_

_"Thank you, Tana." Quinn squeezed her again tightly. "I want you to be happy too. You're one of the best things that have ever happened to me. I'll always be here for you."_

_"Yeah yeah. Now are we gonna smoke this, or what? It'll help with the stiffness and joint pain I know you're ignoring right now." She smirked. "I should probably get off your lap anyways.. don't want to make the hobbit jealous."_

_Quinn laughed and took a hit from the bowl. She choked a little on the first inhale because her lungs were still weak due to complications sustained from the accident, but it felt good to be here with her best friend, yet another on a pile of chances she didn't deserve, eager to decimate their stash of powdered mini donuts and Cheetos. _

_Sue Sylvester would have her pink head if she knew. The thought made her feel giddy. Or it may have been the weed._

—AiZ—

They'd heard the gun shots and were panicking slightly because— _fuck, again?— _but also Mike and Quinn were out there and they hadn't returned. Sam and Rachel both turned to each other so quickly with wide eyes, obviously hoping that the shots were not aimed at anyone they cared about—_ it was all they could do, protect their own._

Rachel was, again, cemented to her seat by a startled Beth who'd begun to whimper. The shots were not far, and neither were Quinn and Mike. Beth could sense the distress and uncertain tension and she absorbed it. Rachel could only hug her closer and give her her pacifier and panic a little more subtly.

Sam knew that he couldn't just abandon Rachel and Beth so he was relieved when he saw Jesse and Santana start to move, but before they could even act Mike and Quinn appeared through the trees, clearly upset about whatever happened but seemingly unharmed physically. He took his cue and started the engine as they both piled in the back seat sniffling, and when he saw Jesse and Santana were ready to go they made their way onto the exit path.

Rachel wanted desperately to ask Quinn what happened and check her for injuries and ask what she could do to help, but Quinn and Mike were quietly crying to themselves and seeing them made her feel like she was intruding. The feeling sent a pang of hurt through her chest, but there wasn't anything she could do at the moment with Beth to care for. It would have to wait until Canada.

Quinn had Sam stop at the front entrance and she hopped out and ran inside. Mike took the opportunity the wipe his face with the arm of his long sleeved shirt and Rachel realized that this entire time, she'd never seen him look so scared and small. She'd known him since they were in pre-school. He was always so quiet but cool, smart, and funny. She wished there was a way to comfort him.

When Quinn came back through the glass doors three Rangers were behind her. She pointed them in the direction which they came and they nodded and ran off. One put his hand on her shoulder and offered what Sam assumed were words of encouragement. He wondered what the hell had happened, but he was mostly just glad Quinn and Mike were okay. They could deal with details later. When Quinn climbed back into her seat and snapped her seatbelt in, he glanced back into her sad hazel eyes quickly before pulling onto the main road and once again, heading towards the border.

—AiZ—

The car was silent the few minutes it look to get to the Blue Water Bridge toll. Each of its occupants plus the occupants in the following car, were hoping that it would be fully functioning. That there would be Marines on guard or Mountees or whoever the fuck, _anyone_ protecting the border from the insanity rising in the States. They'd have welcomed extensive screening ensuring the safe arrival into the country, ensuring that _whatever the fuck this was _couldn't follow them, hadn't reached this far, that they'd finally, _finally, _be _safe._

No such luck. What they were met with was pretty dismal.

There was an overturned truck that had clearly caught fire, blocking two lanes. There were empty cars, like people just got out and grabbed a carry-on and just walked. The gates were closed, but there was already one smashed through where they could cross. There were belongings, trash, blood, and items strewn across the lanes. But the most depressing sight of all? That was the super imposing military tank, that was sitting off to the side. _They left behind a Goddamn tank. _Whatever happened here managed to overwhelm them to the point that they left behind a _tank_.

Rachel noticed Sam's grip on the wheel as he maneuvered the Rav-4 through the wreckege. His eyes were shifting side to side like he expected a hoard to sneak up out of nowhere and ambush them. Beth was looking out the window with interest so she prayed to God that wouldn't be the case, and reached over to cover Sam's hand on the wheel.

"Its okay." She spoke softly.

He nodded and offered her a small smile. "I know, we're almost there." He checked the mirror to make sure the Rover was following and then pushed forward.

—AiZ—

"This is a disaster.." Jesse commented. "Its like they just dropped the inessentials and ran."

"Seems like it," Santana replied. "But at least the tank is pointing towards the way we came. That has to mean the threat was on this side, right?"

Jesse sighed. He sure hoped so. He grabbed Santana's hand and gave it a squeeze. He'd been so lucky through this nightmare. There are many instances where his foolishness should have been his downfall, but they were so goddamn close. It would be a tasteless plot twist if they didn't make it now. When they made it across, there would only be about a six hour drive to Algonquin Woods. They were hitting the final act.

He tried not to think about the fact that a lot of the greatest shows end with a dramatic and unexpected bang. He just hoped that wasn't the case for them.

But it'd been a full month now since Rachel had interrupted his babysitting venture with Beth. Had they not come for her, Jesse would have been alone. He might have been trapped in Lima when the outbreak _really_ hit, an epidemic which they'd narrowly managed to avoid by taking pre-emptive measures.

He would have been left behind for sure.

Before Shelby'd called him the week before to watch Beth while she went on a cruise, Jesse was certain he'd finish out his fall in his underwear, with sporadic couch naps, a ton of beer, and sushi take out. He didn't have any plans, Rachel and Santana were his only friends, and they'd both left for New York. Yes, he spent his days coaching Vocal Adrenaline when they had practice, but he wasn't an actual teacher at Carmel, so he only worked two days a week. He spent most of his time wondering how he ended up a part time instructor for other peoples dreams. He spent a lot of time in his apartment staring at his California rolls and lamenting his failures at UCLA.

He'd answered her call in that state of melancholy.

Jesse was a strong believer in fate. Everyone's destiny was in the stars, even though only a privileged few were ever born to be one. And the one person who's talent matched his own and was maybe even better, was gone. Off to New York, to live her dream. _Their_ dream. But he wasn't jealous of Rachel, no. He was proud of her. She deserved it more than anyone else he knew, and he never doubted she'd make it. So when she got on that train to her future, he was there, waving his goodbyes and wishing her the best.

When he saw her on the other side of that door, banging like a mad woman... he knew something was terribly wrong. He'd just gotten Beth to sleep, and was ready to order his dinner and pensively stare into it until it revealed the answers he needed. Rachel Berry was exactly like him. She was strong, smart, attractive, ambitious, and talented. So what variable pushed her to succeed yet left him to fail? He had yet to figure it out. But she wasn't supposed to be here. She was meant for New York.

When they told him that New York was crumbling under some chaotic epidemic, Jesse felt his heart break for his dream and hers. But he wondered maybe, if he'd been there when all of it was happening, how would it have played out? Would he have been left behind? Would he have been infected? Surely Rachel was his friend, but maybe he would have found himself trapped somewhere and unable to escape with them. Maybe he would have been rehearsing for a show, and a stage kiss might have been the catalyst for his tragic end. Maybe.. he would have been on the subway, unable to reach salvation within the crowds. There are so many things that could have lead to his end. But he wasn't there on his own. He was here, watching Beth. That turn of events lead them to him, to his rescue. If he hadn't failed UCLA, if he hadn't failed his NYADA audition, if he hadn't spent the summer with the girls, if he hadn't accepted Shelby's request.. Jesse could be alone right now, or _worse_.

Maybe for Jesse, his foolishness is what kept him alive. Maybe its what got him here, holding Santanas hand, protected and surrounded by people who care about him. It got him these people who included him in their escape, when he should have been left behind...

Jesse St. James had always believed in fate. So maybe his mistakes lead him right where he was supposed to be. In fact, he was sure they had. He was extremely greatful.

—AiZ—

All of them had secretly hoped that life in Canada would be untouched, that the roads would be busy with people going about life as usual, but they weren't surprised to find that that was a mere fantasy. They were on highway 402, driving carefully and watching the trees pass by. Beth was nodding off again, and Rachel was amused at the fact that car trips seemed to hypnotize her. She held her close to her body and underneath the waist strap, even though she was aware that it would provide minimal safety for the baby. She watched as Beth chewed on her pacifier, tiny fingers playing with Rachel's. She couldn't help but think about her fathers and Shelby, hoping that they were somewhere safe.

Mike was sleeping against his window, but Quinn was awake and Rachel could see that she was holding his hand as she watched out her own window. She hoped that Quinn would be able to talk when she was ready, and not get trapped inside her own mind again. She also wished that Quinn too could get some sleep, but she was aware that Quinn had been having trouble relaxing enough to rest. Who could blame her really? On top of everything else, Quinn's physicality was burdening her as well. Her lung function was starting to decline if her erratic breaths last night were any indication, and she was sore every morning from not being able to rest her body in and actual bed. This cabin would be a Godsend for all of them, but for Quinn, it could mean survival. Rachel was sure the cold would only impact Quinn's health negatively. Even if Quinn would try her damnedest not to let it show.

"She asleep, Rachel?" Quinn's voice broke her out of her reverie. She let out a quiet sigh and placed a light kiss on Beth's head before responding.

"Almost. I suppose the passing trees act as a mobile of sorts." She chucked quietly.

Quinn smiled. "Yeah probably. She's gonna wake up hungry. What do you guys think, Sam? Rachel? Should we stop for lunch somewhere or just feed her and we suck it up and keep moving? We've probably got a five and a half trip ahead."

As if on cue, Sam's stomach growled. They'd eaten breakfast four hours ago, and it was light, as always. "I'm hungry. But I'm man enough to admit that I'm scared of stopping again. Maybe if it was quick but do we even have food that doesn't need to be prepared?"

Quinn shrugged. Rachel hummed. "I think we might have cans of tuna, spam, and sausages that you guys might use for crackers. We'd have to at least pull over so that I may retrieve them, and I'm sure Santana and Jesse would appreciate a meal as well. I myself would be okay with dry cheerios to snack on, and maybe some applesauce."

"Okay," Quinn replied, turning her attention to Mike and squeezing his hand. She shook his shoulder until his blinked his eyes open. "Hey Mike? You hungry?"

Mike groaned and rubbed his face. He took in his surroundings before answering. "Yeah I kinda am. Where are we?"

"Honestly still the middle of nowhere.." Sam replied. "So is that a yes to the quick stop? We should be fine in a field or something right?"

"I think so," Quinn said. "We could see if danger approaches, and we should be pretty quick about it. Rachel, you and I should also switch places. Sam are you still good to drive?"

"Sure, I mean, its been pretty easy going." Sam said.

"Excellent." She replied and shifted to whisper to Mike. "Mike, are you okay? If possible I'd like you to ride with Jesse and offer them a little support?"

Mike's eyes dropped at the idea of leaving Quinn. Quinn noticed. "S-sure. I mean, if.. if you want."

Quinn saw that he clearly was still a bit shaken and didn't really want to go. "No, nevermind, I can get Sam to switch because Rachel will want to stay with us and I kind of need to keep an eye on Beth." Quinn smiled.

"I'm sorry Quinn." Mike said sadly.

"No, you don't need to apologize. Honestly having you close makes me feel better too. Its okay. I just don't like there being such an imbalance in the cars but that doesn't mean you aren't welcome to stay." She squeezed his hand again to reassure him. "I'll drive after lunch, and you, Beth, and Rachel can ride with me. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Thank you." Mike smiled.

Sam found a large clearing off the road and slowly pulled in, making sure that there wasn't any mud that the cars would get stuck in. Jesse followed, and they all took a breath before getting out and observing their surroundings. When they felt it was safe, they unloaded the supplies so they could find what they needed for lunch. It was depressing, seeing how little food they actually had left. But at least they were going to a place where they could figure out a better system. In the Rover they had first a box with multiple bags of rice, beans, and self rising flour. A second box was filled with stacks of canned veggies, fruit, and meat, ravioli, and spaghetti o's, and had a can opener tossed inside. A third box held bags of generic cereal, boxes of oatmeal, granola bars, beef jerky, crackers, coffee, creamer, Gatorade powder, vitamins, and anything else they could think to grab that wouldn't need refrigeration. Beth's box had tons of baby food, powdered formula, and juiceboxes that Quinn would transfer to her bottle. In the fourth box was a first aid kit, pull-ups, blankets, tissue rolls, sanitizer, sandwich bags, plastic dishes and utensils, and solo cups. Beside the boxes sat a cooler of bottled water, a cooler they used for fish, the portable stove top, the hot water pot, two solar powered lamps, two small solar generators, a solar radio, the fishing rods, and a cross bow and quiver Mike used to hunt with.

They were extremely lucky to have use of the extra truck. Sam's truck most likely wouldn't have been very reliable, so they never entertained the idea that they would need it. In hindsight, they probably could have used the extra cargo space, but then again, their stuff would have been left in the open in his pickup.

The Rav-4 held all their more personal belongings, such as the duffle bags they packed with their clothes, phone chargers, travel kits, towels, wallets, Sam's guitar, purses, cards, a frisbee, and Beth's baby bag and a few of her toys. More often than not, its where they all congregated to chat or sleep or just be together. The need to survive together fostered a strong sense of team, family, and closeness between them. But they all hoped the cabin would bring promises of a bed, locked doors and windows, and shelter they could rely on and make a temporary home.

"Okay listen up" Quinn announced. "For a quick lunch I suggest everyone take a can of Vienna sauges, some crackers, a water, and a fruit cup. Rachel I've got your applesauce right here and a baggie of cheerios. I'd like it if you could also take a granola bar. We're going to have to figure out dinner when we get there, but we are okay on food for maybe another few days. Everybody good?"

They all murmered their agreement and accepted their items.

"Second on the itinerary, a quick switch up. Sam, I'm moving you to Jesse's car, and I'm gonna drive the Rav-4. Is that okay?" Quinn asked. Sam nodded. "Okay great, you guys can determine who'll drive, unless Jesse you're good?" Jesse nodded. "Awesome. We only have about five hours left till we get to Algonquin Woods guys, so barring the unforeseeable, we'll be there right during sunset. We are going to have to watch out tonight to see what the area is like and as soon as we settle in we can start planning our next run. Everything set?"

Quinn made eye contact with each person to make sure they were on-board with the plan and was pleased to see they all were ready. "Great. We're almost there guys."

As they dispersed and headed to their designated rides with the food, Quinn took the opportunity to grab Rachel and hold her close. She took a few minutes to hold her and just be with her. Rachel sighed and just allowed herself to relax in Quinn's arms, the only place she ever felt safe anymore. After about three minutes Quinn released her with a kiss so they could eat, change Beth, and get back on the road.

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A/N: I want to thank you guys who've read and/or reviewed. Tell me what you think of this chapter? There's only one left and it leads sets up _Alice Practice_. Also, If you're interested I'm also starting a new Quinntana + Rachel fic titled _Lucifer and Satan. _I'd love it if you gave it a read :)


	8. Wake up Alice!

When they pulled up to the cabin, they all got out and cried.

It was like running a marathon on a Sunday and finally crossing the finish line. You knew you'd be sore as fuck tomorrow and still have responsibilities to tend to, but it was over for now and you could finally rest.

They felt relieved.

To get in, they had to break one of the windows on the left side of the house, then reach in and unlatch it. The house had an alarm and immediately set off, but Santana ran off to find it and hit the reset button. Its not as if security would come anyway, but the alarm would work to their favor should anyone or anything ever break in while they slept. The cabin was very nice and had large windows, but luckily most were on the second floor. The ones that on the first floor could be boarded up when they found a supply store, but they weren't overly concerned because they would take effort to get into by anyone who wasn't athletically inclined. The undead weren't.

When they got to the garage they we're pleased to find a workshop of tools. After locating and flipping the main solar circuit switch, they moved both cars inside so they could enter them safely should they need to escape the house. Quinn carried Beth on her shoulders as they surveyed the cabin and worked out how they could use the space. There were only two bedrooms despite how big the cabin was, but there was a huge living room, dining area, kitchen, a den someone could convert, an office that could be converted, and a game room. The actual rooms had large king sized beds that could easily accommodate the group, as long as they were willing to share. There were also four bathrooms, two on the top floor and two on the bottom, so they wouldn't be pressed for space by any measure.

The kitchen had pots, pans, and dishes. The appliances were all electric. The refrigerator was empty, but had a built in water fountain and ice maker. Since the plumbing was on a well system, they'd have to look out for frozen pipes during the winter, but they had electricity and water—they could survive. The cabinets were bare as well, but they weren't really expecting to find any food.

They unloaded the cars and put away their supplies first, leaving out a bag of rice and a few cans of veggies for dinner. They still needed to make a run for more food, but they were so elated to reach shelter that they weren't too concerned with it for the time being. Mike and Sam decided that they wanted to use the den for their sleeping arrangements, after discovering one of the couches in there housed a pull-out bed. That left Jesse and Santana to choose to either bunk together in a bedroom, or seperately if one of them took the office. They chose to bunk together, ultimately leaving Quinn and Rachel the other bedroom with Beth.

They all freshened up then joined together in the kitchen for dinner. They all laughed and chatted and played with Beth while Quinn and Rachel prepared their dinner of rice with mushroom soup, corn, and green beans. When they ate, they discussed plans of survival training and Quinn and Mike shared what they saw at Lakeport. It got silent for a while as the tragic situation set in for all of them. They were extremely happy though that they'd made it so far, and shifted their mindsets to survive as long as possible.

That night, it snowed. They had been banking on the weather in Canada to give them another advantage over the undead. It would be winter soon, and if they could hold out long enough for the weather to decrease they could outlast _whatever this was_ and then society could begin to repair itself. They all stood in the gameroom window and watched the snow fall and blanket the ground. They hoped that their plan would work so they could move forward when all this was over. But until then, they'd have to fight.

When they bid each other good night, all of them were torn between the possibility of a warm bed, and just crashing together on the gameroom floor. Eventually, the comforts of a real bed won out. Though the cabin had heat, the floors were still made of hardwood. Quinn especially could use a bed, seeing as her bad back had been suffering the entire time they'd been on the run. She couldn't tell if the bed was just extremely comfortable, or if her body was just extremely greatful. Possibly both.

For the first time in a long time, they could sleep without fear. They could put the guns in a safe place nearby where they could reach them, but didn't need to sleep strapped. The silence of the night wasn't filled with groans and screams, and of it was it was beyond the safety of four brick walls. Each of them wanted desperately to turn their minds off, to finally relax, but it wasn't easy. Their minds were telling them that it was okay.. but their bodies were still on edge.

In the dark, Jesse had his arms around Santana. He knew she wasn't asleep, but he left her to her own thoughts. He wondered about Shelby, and his parents, his grandmother. Jesse had never had a great relationship with either of his parents, but he hoped they were safe. He wondered if they thought of him at all. He'd let them down completely after failing out of UCLA, and they'd all but disowned him. They were successful, and refused to acknowledge that they had a son who had failed to succeed. Jesse also found himself thinking of his students at Vocal Adrenaline.. of his boss, principle Matthews. What would happen to Carmel when all of this was over? Would they be able to return to their lives and mourn the dead, moving along with new meaning? Jesse didn't know.

Santana was thinking about her Mami and Papi, Abuela, and Brittany. She knew that most likely her parents would be okay since they were called to DC, but what did it mean that they'd been away this whole time? Obviously, they hadn't succeeded at curing this epidemic, so what was going on? She worried about Brittany, and wondered if she was okay. She wished she had thought to check on her and the Pierces when she'd first gotten back to Lima but, she was just so distraught about her parents that she hadn't even considered it. What about Abuela? Surely her tios would have checked on her? She and her Papi were no longer welcome in Abuela's home, but she would have gone anyways had she realized how big this nightmare would grow to be. They'd assumed it would die down... and they'd been wrong. They'd left loved ones behind.

Mike though about his Mom and Tina. He wasn't worried about his dad at all. He knew the man would protect himself and he was certain that he wouldn't have allowed himself to be infected. His parents were in medicine, so he wondered if they'd been called to DC like Rachel's and Santana's. He'd seen Tina while in Lima, but when they left to try and wait out the chaos in Lima, Tina hadn't come. She'd obviously stayed with her family, and assured Mike that it was fine. Mike believed her. He knew that he couldn't force her to come with him, and her family didn't think that it was as serious as it had later become. Mike deeply regretted leaving her behind even though he wasn't sure there was anything he could've done differently, even with hindsight. There's no way they would have believed that the government couldn't contain this, not with all the guards boasting security. Mike Chang may have claimed to be a ninja, but there was no way he could offer more protection than a soldier could.

Sam thought of his Mom and Dad, Stevie, Stacy, and 'Cedes. He desperately hoped they were all somewhere safe. His family was still in Tennessee, and for the first time ever, he regretted his decision to stay in Ohio. He should've been with them, and they didn't want to leave him there in the first place, but he just.. he liked McKinley and Glee and after the Berrys took him in, he was so happy. He got to know Rachel and Hiram and Leroy and as soon as he was old enough, he got his own place but knew he was always welcome at the Berry's. His senior year had just begun and he'd heard 'Cedes was doing well in L.A. but.. but now? He didn't know how any of them were doing. He even thought about Blaine.. then Kurt.. Joe... Tina.. Artie.. Coach Beiste.. his mind would never be able to rest worrying about all the people he'd left behind.

Rachel missed her Dads and Shelby. She needed to know what was going on in DC, and whether they are safe. Technically, they had to be, right? Considering they are doing official government work the least they could do was provide safety. She hoped that Shelby and Judy were okay, and wondered what happened when they returned from their trip. Did they ever return? Are they still somewhere floating and waiting for a safe report to return to shore? There were so many questions and what ifs floating through Rachel's mind she feared she would waste the entire night. What about Finn? Was he a part of one of the platoons that were responsible for organizing the chaos? Last she'd spoken to him, he was in bootcamp down South. Did the epidemic reach down that far? Oh God, what happened to Carol, Kurt, and Burt?

Quinn sighed in relief.

It wasn't that she wasn't worried, oh, she was. She was absolutely worried about Judy and Shelby, her sister and her family, her roommate back at Yale, her support group, 'Cedes, Russell.. she was concerned for all of their safety. But she couldn't do anything about it right now. What she _could _do? Hold her daughter closer. Hold Rachel closer. She could be thankful that's she got her friends that she _could _help to safety. She could plan ahead so that they survive as long as possible. Maybe tomorrow, she could focus on finding their parents and families. Maybe tomorrow they could head to DC. But right now? Quinn Fabray was focused on the fact that Beth, Rachel, Santana, Jesse, Sam, Mike, and she were safe. Everything else could wait.

Because Quinn Fabray? She protects her own. And she'd done exactly that—_for now_.

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A/N: Thank you guys for reading! I have been working so hard on _Lucifer & Satan_ and _Alice Practice_ that I forgot that the last chapter of this one needed to be formatted and uploaded. I'm sorry, lol. I have so much going on with writing for work and my own leisure, sometimes things get lost. Anywho, I am on chapter 6/8 on _Alice Practice_ so I will be uploading chapter 1 this weekend. Those of you who had questions about what happened to their friends and families, you'll want to stick around for _Alice Practice_. Everything gets explained. :) Review pls?


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